'It would decimate us' - community hub's future under threat after £25,000 claim over donated prom-wear
A new court hearing date has been set for June
The boss of a community interest company which provides prom dresses to disadvantaged children fears an ongoing legal row may “decimate our services” and potentially end its work.
Lee Nicholson, the founder of Building Blocks Day Centre, in Washington, was speaking after an initial appearance at a Teesside court on Tuesday for a preliminary hearing over the ownership of prom garments which the community hub loan out to disadvantaged youngsters who may not be able to afford to ‘go to the ball’.
In February 2024, the community hub in Concord, Washington, launched the initiative and 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 the dresses still belong to her and the businessman did not have permission to donate them.
Lee thought the hearing was for the seamstress to be able to gain access to the dresses and to cover a £2,000 claim of legal costs.
However, following the hearing on Tuesday, Lee now understands the claimant is demanding £25,000 - what she claims to be the current value of the garments - as well as the current running total of £3,500 legal costs.
Lee, 47, said: “It’s hard to put into words how we’ve ended up in this situation and I’m still trying to come to terms with how you can take a donation from someone and then have someone come and try and claim £25,000.
“It’s so stressful, I was up at 3am this morning thinking about how we would pay this.”
Lee had been asking the claimant for proof of ownership of the garments - something he said was not forthcoming until his appearance in court when the claimant’s solicitor said the garments would be marked with her tag.
The court has ordered that Lee now gives the claimant access to the dresses although she must provide an itemised list of what she believes is hers.
However, Lee 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.
“I’m fairly sure we don’t have many if any of the garments left from the original donation.”
Building Blocks offer a range of services for the local community, including free school uniforms, warm spaces, education courses, and health services.
Lee said: “If the judge rules on her side then if there’s some form of payment plan we’d try to carry-on, but we wouldn’t be able to offer half the services we do.”
A hearing will next take place on June 19.
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.”
Due to cost implications, Lee was originally going to defend himself, but has now said he “needs a solicitor”.
He has asked anyone who is able to offer legal advice to contact him at [email protected]