Power of attorney from law firm that no longer exists
C.C. writes: In 2019, my wife and I received a phone call, asking if we would take out a power of attorney, with part of our fees going to the local Butterwick Hospice. As we are over 80, we agreed. Lee Matthew Frost, of Varsity Law Ltd in Durham, came to us with the forms, which we completed and signed for him to submit to the Office of the Public Guardian. He collected them along with our cheque for £1,000, since when we have heard nothing. He has blamed the pandemic. The OPG says there is no record of him submitting anything.
LEE FROST is one of those dodgy characters who inhabits the fringes of the legal scene, offering to draft documents that do not need to be prepared by a qualified lawyer. Varsity Law advertised: ‘In today’s competitive market, legal services have become confusing and only the best will do.’
Unfortunately, Varsity Law and its owner were far from the best, and closer to the worst.
You have told me that Frost has been putting you off throughout 2020 and 2021. What he has not told you is that Varsity Law no longer exists. Officials at Companies House began proceedings to strike it off as long ago as 2019, and it was compulsorily dissolved in
February 2020. This was before lockdowns began, so everything Frost has told you since then has been false or an excuse.
Frost has used a variety of addresses for businesses, including his home at Ushaw Moor in County Durham. Varsity Law’s address was Portland House, a modern office building on the nearby Belmont Business Park.
He told clients: ‘We work closely with NHS Trust hospitals across the UK, as well as charities, financial institutions and more importantly, you.’
A slice of your £1,000 was supposed to go to Butterwick Hospice in Stockton-on-Tees, and the hospice has received some money in the past from businesses linked to Frost. However, after complaints in 2020 the hospice broke off relations with Frost completely.
Another slice of your £1,000 was fees to be paid to the Office of the Public Guardian, the Birmingham-based Government agency that polices the activities of attorneys and guardians in England and Wales. But, if the OPG received no paperwork from Frost, what happened to the £328 that Frost said were the OPG’s charges?
I asked Frost to comment on this, and on why he has been making feeble excuses for two years while clinging on to your cash. He offered no comment or explanation. Nor did he explain what had happened to other companies he ran.
The Later Life Planning Company North East failed to file accounts and was struck off. UK Bereavement, Osoh, and Adroit Law all went the same way.
Kingsley Drake Ltd, where Frost described himself as ‘director of legal services’, was shut down by the High Court.
And when I looked into the company records of Varsity Law, I found that Frost told Companies House that it was a dormant business, at least until 2018. He never filed proper accounts for it, even though it traded.
Frost now runs a new firm, Vichi Medical UK Ltd, with an address at Oakmere, an office also at Belmont Business Park.
There is one legal area in which I can confirm that Frost is experienced, and that is the county court system. There are judgments against him for £1,972, £175, and a whopping £20,733.
His misconduct has cost you £1,000, and clearly he has no intention of repaying you. At the very least, this man should be disqualified from any and all directorships.
If you believe you are the victim of financial wrongdoing, write to Tony Hetherington at Financial Mail, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TS or email tony.hetherington@mailonsunday.co.uk. Because of the high volume of enquiries, personal replies cannot be given. Please send only copies of original documents, which we regret cannot be returned.