A Grand History

Between April 1981 and September 1981 the residents of the Grand made six written requests for a summary of costs for service charges to Michael Stainer (pictured circa 1983). Under the 1980 Housing Act a landlord – as Mr Stainer was then, but is no more, was required by law to provide a summary of expenditure in respect of service charge costs within one month of a request. On all six occasions Mr Stainer failed to comply with the written requests. On the 7th Oct 1981 another request was made and a deadline set.

It took in the end nine requests and initiation of correspondence with the local council (Shepway at the time) to elicit the accounts for 1980 and 1981.

However, in Dec 1982 two further request were made for a summary of costs for service charges;  which were not complied with, quelle surprise! Then in Feb 1983 three further requests were made and all five request were not complied with before June 1983.

Mr Stainer was elected as a Conservative Councillor in May 1983 for the then Folkestone Harvey Ward.

In late January 1984 Mr Stainer – “a reputed millionaire” at the time, found himself in the local magistrates court for not complying with numerous requests for the summary of costs for service charges made by the residents of the Grand.  He was fined £400 and ordered to pay £250 costs. In late Jan 1984 Mr Stainer resigned his position as a Councillor after only nine months. The Herald ran the following story below on the 3rd Feb 1984

It is clear that Mr Stainer’s intransigence to either adhere to requests for information or pay what he owes has a significant historical precedent (37 years presently). Mr Stainer’s reluctance to pay his way now, as much as then, comes as no surprise to us or the current residents of the Grand. You too dear reader should be left in no doubt, Mr Stainer’s unwillingness to pay his bills like the rest of us, has costs us all.

Not paying taxes reputed to be in excess of £1 million when adding in the interest and other charges for the period 2005-06 to 2010-11, deprives us all.  The outstanding monies owed to the Council for business rates and the fact that Mr Stainer’s long standing lawyer, Andrew Duncan (pictured) of All Square Law has stood down because his client – Mr Stainer – has not paid him, we, nor you, should be surprised.

Between 1994 and 2005 an officer of the then Shepway District Council flagged with his superiors and the legal team, The Grand owed the Council a considerable amount of money. It was also pointed out that an exceptionally high number of limited liability companies were being dissolved or struck off; which were based/located at The Grand of which Mr Stainer was a director and/or shareholder in many of them. But alas, nothing happened and no monies was recovered.

Moving onto July 2015, Michael Stainer, Doris Stainer and their henchman Robert Richardson were all arrested by the Police & HMRC and charged with various tax offences. We suspect that criminal charges against the three will be brought early in the new year.

Now in 2018, as the Stainer era draws to an end, the man who once was reputed to be a millionaire, now describes himself as “unemployed” and blames his situation on everyone else apart from himself.

Now in this case, being “unemployed” certainly does not mean being idle.  Far from it.  Despite the clear prohibition on Michael Stainer having any involvement whatsoever in the management of any limited company (a bankrupt cannot and must NOT do this), he’s been busy hiring and firing directors, appointing a new company secretary, the equally bankrupt and disqualified Doris Stainer, and continuing to run the business through his proxy/henchman Robert Richardson (pictured).  We understand that both directors – Henry Bolton and Robert Graham Slazenger Moss are struggling to prise Stainer’s hands off the tiller, and the till, quelle surprise.  Quite what the new director/s hope to get by way of remuneration, and from whom,  is also a very interesting question.

Mr Stainer and his wife, both made bankrupt on Nov 8th 2018 have appealed their personal bankruptcies. The final hearing – there can be no more appeals after this – will be heard we understand, early next year. This will mean that the saga of 38 years will finally come to end, if the courts rule against him and his wife.

Robert Richardson , Mr Stainer’s henchman and gofer has spun the story stating Mr Stainer is stepping down because he is fast approaching 80, when in fact he is just 71 according to Companies House

Finally, in March 2016 we asked if Mr Stainer was Walter Mitty or Billy Liar. Again we ask you to consider if Mr Stainer is Walter Mitty or Billy Liar.

The Shepwayvox Team – Dissent is NOT a Crime.