London Daily

Focus on the big picture.

Businessman loses court battle against parents over caravan empire

Businessman loses court battle against parents over caravan empire

Ivy and Alldey Loveridge, 75 and 78 respectively, have succeeded in overturning a High Court ruling that granted their son Michael, 50, interim control over the family caravan empire.

Multimillionaire businessman, 50, who tried to jail his elderly parents and take their home loses bitter court battle over their £10 million caravan empire

* Ivy and Alldey Loveridge overturn High Court ruling giving control to their son
* The 50-year-old operates five caravan parks based in Bewdley, Worcestershire
* Michael still trying to jail mother for alleged breaches of partnership injunction

A multimillionaire businessman who threatened to take his parents' home away from them has lost a legal battle after they appealed against a High Court ruling granting him control of the family caravan empire.

Michael Loveridge, 50, and his parents Ivy, 75, and Alldey, 78, are fighting for control of the family's chain of caravan parks and caravan sales business based in Bewdley, Worcestershire.

The 50-year-old is a director of several of the family companies involved in the fight, one of which controls £5m worth of assets and another which has almost £5m more in capital, according to Companies House.

But his parents are majority shareholders in most of the companies, which, until earlier this year, gave them control over the empire.

Ivy, 75, and Alldey, 78, (both pictured) have succeeded in an Appeal Court fight to overturn a High Court ruling which gave Michael interim control over the family's caravan empire


50-year-old Michael Loveridge (pictured with his wife Suehelen) is a director of several of the family companies involved in the fight, one of which controls £5m worth of assets and another which has almost £5m more in capital



The High Court granted two court orders, in April and May, which gave Michael interim control over the three business partnerships and five family companies.

The court orders could also have seen Michael's parents sent to jail if they tried to interfere.

Now though, Ivy and Alldey have succeeded in an Appeal Court fight to overturn the High Court ruling.

Lance Ashworth QC, who represented Ivy and Alldey, said: 'In an email dated 10th June 2020, Michael's solicitor suggested that the eponymous site owned by Riverside 'should be sold first'...and said that Ivy and Alldey, Michael's parents, 'will be required to give up vacant possession' of their home, a bungalow located on the Riverside site, when that site was 'disposed of'.


At Birmingham High Court earlier this year, Michael's parents tried to have him removed as director of that company. It was during this court battle that he was granted interim control of the day-to-day running of the caravan empire



'This threat to take their home off them was undoubtedly an attempt to apply pressure on Ivy and Alldey and/or to provoke them. It is hardly the sort of act one would expect of a son towards his parents.'

Mr Ashworth argued that the High Court's decision to grant Michael sole interim control over the family businesses was baseless and that Judge McCahill had acted in 'a way no reasonable judge would have'.

He said: 'The Loveridge business empire was founded by Ivy and Alldey around 1973, when Michael was about three years old. Michael claims much of the credit for the businesses' growth and success.

'Ivy and Alldey deny Michael's version of events. A great deal regarding the history of the businesses, and the roles and conduct of various members of the family in relation to them, is hotly disputed.

'Michael has fallen out with Ivy and Alldey and his siblings. The reasons for this are again highly contentious.'


The court orders could also have seen Michael's parents sent to jail if they tried to interfere



However, David Stockill who represented Michael, said that Judge McCahill had made the right decision because his client was now the driving force behind the business.

He said: 'Michael was the driving force of the expansion of the business... Michael was the person who was exercising day-to-day control of the business and had principally been responsible for their strategic development.

'It is not that Alldey and Ivy have not contributed. So far as the acquisition, ownership and management of sites is concerned, Michael had a good starting point.

'His parents had thus contributed the 'seed capital'. They have been well rewarded with the significantly larger interests in the partnerships and companies which Michael allowed them, and does not challenge.

'He did this out of filial loyalty and family responsibility in circumstances where many other individuals would have considered their own interests further.'


The Loveridge family run a chain of caravan parks and caravan sales business based in Bewdley, Worcestershire. Pictured: Riverside Caravan Park

Despite this legal defeat, Michael still intends on going ahead with his attempts to have his mother, brother and sister sent to jail for allegedly breaching the partnership injunction while it was in place. Pictured: Bewdley Caravan Sales


The Court of Appeal ruled that both the partnership order and the companies order imposed by Judge McCahill were to be discharged.

Lord Justice Lewison, Lord Justice Floyd and Lady Justice Asplin will give their reasons at a later date.

Despite this legal defeat, Michael still intends on going ahead with his attempts to have his mother, brother and sister sent to jail for allegedly breaching the partnership injunction while it was in place.

Mr Ashworth said: 'Eighteen counts of contempt are alleged. Ivy denies that she is guilty of any of them.'

The fight for control of the empire is now set to go back to the High Court for a full trial on a date yet to be set.

Mr Ashworth said the bitter feud initially flared up when Ivy and Alldey accused Michael of having 'misappropriated' £1.25m from one of the family companies to purchase another caravan park for himself.

At Birmingham High Court earlier this year, Michael's parents tried to have him removed as director of that company.

It was during this court battle that he was granted interim control of the day-to-day running of the caravan empire - including the winding up of two business partnerships which would have seen his parents forced to leave their home, said Mr Ashworth.

Newsletter

Related Articles

London Daily
0:00
0:00
Close
ICC Issues Arrest Warrants for Russian Military Officials
Spanish Police Investigate Missing UK Teen Case in Tenerife
Spanish Police Dismantle International Drug-Smuggling Network
Mark Rutte to Be Appointed Next NATO Chief
Four Men Arrested for Trespassing on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's Country Estate
Heatwave Causes Thousands of Heatstroke Cases in Karachi, Pakistan
EU Initiates Membership Talks with Ukraine and Moldova
UK Police Officers Implicated in Election Betting Scandal
King Charles Hosts Japan's Emperor Naruhito for State Visit
Top-Secret US Underwater Drone 'Manta Ray' Revealed on Google Maps
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange stops in Bangkok on his way to a US court and later freedom
Homeless Man Turns in Wallet with 2,000 Euros at Amsterdam Station
Apple Faces EU Charges Over Digital Markets Act Violation
Macron Warns of Civil War Risk as French Elections Approach
Julian Assange Freed After US Plea Deal
Chaotic Portugal Win Over Turkey at Euro 2024
Global Headlines: Hajj Heatwave Tragedy, Flynn's Family Enterprise, and Rising Geopolitical Tensions
Political Shifts in France, Legal Battles in the UK, and Public Protests in Israel
UK's Richest Family Convicted for Exploiting Servants
Hollande Declares End to Macron’s Political Ascendancy
Hindujas Appeal Swiss Court's Human Trafficking Verdict
Prince William Celebrates Birthday at Taylor Swift Concert
Singapore to Implement Screen Time Regulations for Children
Hello and welcome back. Here we are with your latest news update from around the world.
Hello and welcome back. Here are today's top stories from around the world, you don't want to miss:
UK PM Sunak and the Election Betting Scandal
Climate Activists Target Taylor Swift's Private Jet in UK
United States Bans Kaspersky Antivirus
US to Supply Taiwan with Suicide Drones Amid Rising Tensions with China
Bodyguard of UK Prime Minister Arrested for Alleged Election Betting
Global Displacement Crisis: Record Numbers in 2023
Muslim Community Leader Criticizes Nigel Farage for Undermining Muslims
Melinda Gates Discusses 'Horrible' Divorce from Bill Gates
Child Obesity Surge in England: A Deep Concern
U.S. Sues Adobe Over Hard-to-Cancel Subscriptions
Deadly Heat Wave Claims Dozens of Lives During Hajj Pilgrimage in Mecca
Here are today's top worldwide stories you don’t want to miss:.
World’s Largest Pilot Union Calls to Eliminate Terms Like ‘Cockpit’ and ‘Manpower’ for Equity
Woman Suing UK Intel Services Denies China Spy Allegations
Iran Sentences Nobel Laureate Narges Mohammadi to 1-Year Prison Term for Propaganda
News roundup
Good day, everyone! We've got some gripping stories for you today, spanning from the Middle East to Europe, and even a touch of Hollywood.
Britain’s Refugee Visa Rules Stranding Children in War Zones
UK Elections Predict ‘Electoral Extinction’ for PM Sunak’s Conservative Party
Italian Activist Ilaria Salis Returns Home After Election to European Parliament
Good morning!
England Faces Serbia in Euro Opener with Defensive Concerns
Dermatologist Warns Against Sunbed Usage
Fake Pro-Reform UK Social Accounts and Their Influence on Elections
UK Man Jailed for Non-Consensual Condom Removal
×