A COMPANY WHO HAVE KEPT A MILTON KEYNE’S COUPLE’S

A COMPANY WHO HAVE KEPT A MILTON KEYNE’S COUPLE’S BOAT FOR
THREE AND A HALF YEARS HAVE BEEN ORDERED BY THE HIGH COURT TO RETURN
IT WITHIN SEVEN DAYS.

THE COUPLE, WHO HAD SPENT THEIR SAVINGS HAVING THE BOAT FITTED
OUT, TOLD THE COURT THEY HAD BEEN OVERCHARGED, AND REFUSED TO PAY
THEIR BILL.

SO THE COMPANY KEPT THEIR BOAT.

MID-WAY THROUGH THE CASE, THE COMPANY CONCEDED AND A
SETTLEMENT WAS MADE – THE COUPLE WOULD GET THEIR BOAT BACK AND BE PAID
#4,000 DAMAGES, INCLUDING COSTS.

THE COURT HAD HEARD HOW IAN AND DENISE MCKILLOP OF YORK ROAD,
STONY STRATFORD IN BUCKINGHAMSHIRE HAD AGREED TO PAY WILLOWBRIDGE
ENTERPRISES, #300 A MONTH FOR WORK ON THEIR CALVIC MOTOR SAILER, NOW
VALUED AT #8,875.

MR.

MICHAEL STOKES, REPRESENTING THE MCKILLOP’S HAD SAID THE
AGREEMENT HAD BROKEN DOWN AFTER A YEAR WHEN THE SMALL MILTON KEYNES
BOATYARD DEMANDED A MUCH MORE SUBSTANTIAL PAYMENT.

MR.

STOKES SAID THE MCKILLOPS HAD SAID FROM THE START THEY DID
NOT HAVE A LOT OF MONEY, AND AGREED WITH MR.

COLIN PLUNKETT OF
WILLOWBRIDGE ENTERPRISES TO PAY BY INSTALMENTS.

HE SAID: ‘THE WORK WAS TO BE DONE AS THE MONEY WAS PAID.

THE
MCKILLOPS ENVISAGED IT COULD TAKE THREE TO FOUR YEARS.

‘
HE ADDED: ‘THE AGREEMENT WAS THAT THE MCKILLOPS WOULD PAY A
MINIMUM OF #300 A MONTH, MORE IF THEY COULD AFFORD IT.

IF THEY
COULDN’T AFFORD THE INSTALMENT THEY WOULD PAY A STORAGE CHARGE.

‘
BY FEBRUARY 1983, THE MCKILLOPS HAD PAID #3,600, WHEN THEY
RECEIVED AN INVOICE ASKING FOR #3,100, MR.

STOKES SAID.

THE INVOICE ASKED FOR PAYMENT OF LABOUR COSTS AND FOR
MATERIALS.

THE MCKILLOPS HAD AN EXPERT CHECK THE BOAT WHO CLAIMED THEY
HAD BEEN OVERCHARGED AND SAID ALL THE REQUESTED WORK HAD NOT BEEN
CARRIED OUT.

THE CASE ENDED YESTERDAY (TUESDAY) DURING THE EXPERT’S
EVIDENCE.

MR.

PLUNKETT AND MR.

GEOFFREY O’CONNELL, PARTNERS IN
WILLOWBRIDGE ENTERPRISES WHICH OPERATES FROM THE WILLOWBRIDGE MARINA
IN WILLOWBRIDGE STOKE ROAD, BLETCHLEY, HAD COUNTERCLAIMED THAT THE
MCKILLOPS OWED THEM #7,400 FOR MATERIALS, LABOUR AND STORAGE COSTS.

ENDS
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