A British company that is selling plots of UK agricultural and forestry land to investors is facing a legal battle with an Australian consumer watchdog.
Consumer Affairs Victoria, an Australian state-run body, applied to the Australian Supreme Court to force private London-based land speculation company, European Land Sales, to modify its marketing.
CAV accused ELS of misleading and deceptive business practices under the Victorian Fair Trading Act.
Barrister Jonathon Moore, acting for CAV, accused ELS of “grossly misrepresenting” the chances of obtaining planning permission, and of claiming to have a track record of changing planning uses when it had never in fact won a single application.
Mark Robbins, acting for ELS, accused CAV of being heavy-handed.
Staff at ELS’s UK offices were unavailable for comment.
References: EGi News 25/11/05
