"We set this initiative up to support disadvantaged kids and took in these prom dresses and suits in good faith and it’s unbelievable we’ve ended up in this situation.”

The words of Building Blocks Day Centre founder Lee Nicholson ahead of his court appearance on Tuesday to face legal action from a seamstress who claims the garments belong to her.

Lee Nicholson with some of the prom garments he loans out to disadvantaged families. | NF

placeholder image — Lee Nicholson with some of the prom garments he loans out to disadvantaged families. | NF

In February 2024, the community interest company in Concord, Washington, launched the free prom-wear loan initiative to help ensure disadvantaged youngsters could go to their leavers’ balls.

Lee was delighted at the “fantastic gesture” by a local businessman who donated over 100 dresses and suits, which he said had been legally acquired after being instructed to clear out the property of a seamstress in Stockton.

Now the seamstress is claiming that the dresses still belong to her and that the businessman did not have permission to dispose of them.

Justices are expected to rule on Tuesday whether Lee will have to pay the claimant’s claim for £2,000 legal costs and who the garments legally belong to.

Lee, 47, said: “We took these items in good faith. Youngsters whose families may struggle to afford new prom-wear were able to come in and pay a £20 returnable deposit. As with everything we do, we set it up as a good turn to help the community.

“Any money we make goes back into the community and we just don’t have £2,000, if the judge comes down on their side. I’m having to defend myself as we don’t have available cash to pay for a solicitor.”

Lee said the seamstress instructed a legal claim on the dresses after seeing a video of the donation on social media.

He added: “I find it ludicrous someone can claim something is theirs by seeing a video. We’ve had lots of donations of other garments and so I know for a fact not all the dresses would have originally belonged to belonged her.

“I’ve asked her solicitor to send me any photographs of the garments or proof they belong to her and nothing has been forthcoming. If the court rules she can claim the items back, I’ve no way of proving otherwise - everything is donated, we don’t have receipts.”

Lee is also concerned about the prospect of further legal action.

He said: “A number of items which were originally donated were damaged and so we ended up disposing of them. We’ve since replaced some of the items with newer garments.

“A lot of the items which we received in this donation we probably no longer have. In one of the emails from her solicitor he mentions about the stock being worth £40,000.

“If they succeed in this hearing and then look to claim back the cost of the stock it would ruin us and we’d have to close.

“I just can’t believe we’ve ended up in this situation through trying to do something for the community.”

The claimant said the home was repossessed by her landlord's mortgage provider without prior knowledge and that she was forced to leave the majority of her belongings.

In a letter to Lee, the solicitor stated: “My client remains the owner of the goods under the ‘nemo dat’ principle.

“In other words the person who donated the items was not able to pass title to the goods to you because neither he nor anyone involved in the chain of instructions had title to the goods which at all times have continued to belong to my client.”