Harlequin investors drop case against chairman and wife

Laura Miller
clock •

A group of investors in troubled overseas property scheme Harlequin have dropped a case against the scheme's chairman David Ames, and his company director wife Carol, that alleged the pair made false claims about the investment.

Harlequin and its lawyers declined to comment, and would only say that the case to sue the Ames' had been "withdrawn" by the group of 24 investors. Papers filed with the High Court show the complaints against the Ames' included that they incorrectly told investors they would have access to a guaranteed mortgage if they invested in the off-plan properties, and that Harlequin was backed by third party finance. In total, investors put around £400m into Harlequin on the basis of those claims. Many borrowed money, for example by re-mortgaging their home in the UK, to fund the 30% initia...

To continue reading this article...

Join Professional Adviser for free

  • Unlimited access to real-time news, industry insights and market intelligence
  • Stay ahead of the curve with spotlights on emerging trends and technologies
  • Receive breaking news stories straight to your inbox in the daily newsletters
  • Make smart business decisions with the latest developments in regulation, investing retirement and protection
  • Members-only access to the editor’s weekly Friday commentary
  • Be the first to hear about our events and awards programmes

Join

 

Already a Professional Adviser member?

Login

More on Investment

Fifty years after 'Bogle's Folly', what comes next for financial advice?

Fifty years after 'Bogle's Folly', what comes next for financial advice?

'Indexing will continue to grow, but the wrapper through which investors access it will change'

Gillian Hepburn
clock 12 October 2026 • 4 min read
Chris Justham: Why the industry must 'entertain and engage' investors

Chris Justham: Why the industry must 'entertain and engage' investors

‘We can’t just offer them a dry cracker and ask them to chew it down’

Chris Justham
clock 07 October 2026 • 3 min read
Jupiter Merlin makes 'keystone' changes and cuts charges on Select range to attract advisers

Jupiter Merlin makes 'keystone' changes and cuts charges on Select range to attract advisers

Two new funds launched

Michael Nelson
clock 06 October 2026 • 6 min read