Dragons’ Den winner hit by £200,000 bill in row with her ‘deceitful cow’ business partner
A DRAGONS’ Den winner faces legal costs of £200,000 after losing a court battle with a business partner she branded a ‘deceitful cow’.
Janice Dalton, 61, could have to sell her home to pay the huge bill run up when she unsuccessfully sued Susan Taylor.
The designer netted a £40,000 investment after winning backing from Dragons James Caan and Duncan Bannatyne in 2009 for her firm Blindsinabox.
But after starting a separate venture with Mrs Taylor, 62, she ended up suing for a half share in two properties bought for £ 380,000 during their partnership.
The two women had bitterly fallen out when Mrs Taylor complained that her partner had jetted off to her holiday home in Portugal in the middle of a renovation project.
When a decorator walked off the job in 2013, leaving her out of pocket, Mrs Taylor sent Mrs Dalton an email complaining about her absence, the Mayors and City of London County Court heard.
Mrs Taylor, who was not involved in Blindsinabox, wrote: ‘You knew there were problems but you still went on holiday; you should not have done’. She also asked Mrs Dalton to leave her in peace ‘for the time being’.
But her partner replied directly, accusing Mrs Taylor of being ‘dishonest all along’ and ‘taking her for a fool’.
She then emailed Mrs Taylor’s step-father, a business adviser, saying: ‘I feel I’ve been under an umbrella of manipulation. I’m beginning to see Susan as nothing but a deceitful cow.’
Trust between the women broke down and Mrs Dalton sued Mrs Taylor for a half share in the two properties in Enfield, north London.
Mrs Taylor had paid more than £380,000 for them in 2012, remortgaging her own house to do so, the court heard. She accepted she had always dreamed of dabbling in property management and took inspiration from watching television shows such as Homes Under The Hammer and Sarah Beeny’s Property Ladder.
Mrs Taylor was happy to team up with Mrs Dalton due to her reputation as a skilled designer, the court heard.
Mrs Dalton’s barrister Charles Scott asked: ‘You had heard of her being on Dragons’ Den and you saw her as a successful businesswoman who would be an asset?’
Mrs Taylor replied: ‘Correct.’ Her barrister Richard Walford said the rift was caused by Mrs Dalton ‘choosing to go on holiday instead of supervising the works’.
Judge Edward Bailey said it was perhaps unfair to blame Mrs Dalton for going away as it was a long-scheduled break.
The complaining email Mrs Taylor sent ‘might be seen as a severe reaction’, he added.
‘But that pales into insignificance when one looks at the vehemence of Ms Dalton’s response alleging dishonesty and copying such allegations to Mrs Taylor’s step-father.’
This was conduct which ‘ inevitably resulted in the breakdown of trust and confidence’, said Judge Bailey.
The venture originally aimed to buy, refurbish and re- sell properties but shifted towards buy-to-let, the court heard.
Mrs Taylor said the partnership was hammered out on the basis that they would simply split rental income from the two properties.
After a four-day hearing, the judge accepted this was the case, holding that Mrs Dalton has no stake in the two homes.
After rejecting her case, he ordered her to pay Mrs Taylor’s estimated legal costs of £108,000 on top of her own, thought to be £100,000.
Mr Scott said the costs order would have a crushing effect, adding: ‘The reality is she may have to sell her home.’
The idea behind Blindsinabox was temporary blinds for people renovating their homes, involving peeling off adhesive strips to hang them.
Mr Bannatyne resigned from the firm as a director in 2015 and Mr Caan left in 2010.
‘An umbrella of manipulation’