Marrons partners face £1.3m suit

Ada Lord is suing nine Marrons partners for not securing a contract with a potential buyer for her property in 1989. She claims that the partners, then at Marron Dodds & Waite, were negligent in drawing up a contract that enabled potential buyer Avalon to drop out of the purchase when it was refused planning permission to convert the Leicestershire estate into residential homes.
Lord alleges that the firm also failed to remarket the property before spring 1991, when its value dropped from £1.65m to £450,000.
One source close to the defence claimed that Lord wanted a flexible contract to get out of a deal if she was approached by a higher bidder.
Next month, the partners, who claim that Lord owes them more than £650,000 in legal fees, will apply to the courts to have the case struck out due to a lack of prosecution.
Timothy Timson from Browne Jacobson is acting for the defence.