Have you been affected by Universal Asset Protection Ltd? Part 2

We are still being approached by former clients of Universal Asset Protection Ltd (‘Universal’) who are seeking assistance with their Trusts, Wills and Lasting Powers of Attorney.

This follows our previous article in October 2018 and the recent segment on the BBC show ‘Rip Off Britain’ which can be viewed here.

Universal were an organisation owned by Steven and Melanie Long who primarily created and managed Trusts under the strapline ‘Keeping It in The Family’. Universal assisted their clients in placing property, and sometimes life savings, into Trust with a view to protecting their estate from inheritance tax and care fees.

In some cases, Universal also prepared Wills and Lasting Powers of Attorney for their clients and we are often seeing that Steven and Melanie Long are named as Trustees, Executors and/or Attorneys.

Universal entered compulsory liquidation in May 2018 and their owners are facing a criminal investigation. As a result, we are finding that former clients of Universal are concerned about the following issues:

Trusts

What do I do if Steven and Melanie Long have been appointed as Trustees of my Trust?
Can the Trust be collapsed or wound up so that my property is back in my own name?
Are there any tax consequences of keeping or getting rid of the Trust?

Wills

What do I do if Steven and Melanie Long have been appointed as Executors of my Will?
Does my Will adequately reflect my wishes for what will happen on my death?
Have I received appropriate estate planning advice and am I aware of any potential inheritance tax reliefs?
Am I able to obtain the original copy of my Will?

Lasting Powers of Attorney

What do I do if Steven and Melanie Long have been appointed as Attorneys in my Lasting Power of Attorney?
Have my Lasting Powers of Attorney been registered with the Office of the Public Guardian?
Am I able to obtain the original copies of my Lasting Powers of Attorney?

We would encourage those with Wills, Lasting Powers of Attorneys and/or Trusts in place with Universal to get in touch with Tessa Bonser or Patrick Gibney in our Wills, Estates and Powers of Attorney Team to discuss how best to proceed. Please contact us on 01603 610911 to discuss.