Property Investigator In Court?

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From: Property Investigator


As most of you know, I have been issuing to those interested, reports about marketers, seminar givers, trainers etc.

There are lot's of you who believe they have a right to know about how these people perform, whether they are scammers or rip-off merchants or actually provide great service. This was the purpose of the reports.

Prior to my last report, I was threatened with legal action BEFORE publishing the report about the particular company. Since publishing the report, I am now being sued!!

It's an absolute disgrace that I can't share my experiences in a private report to people who have asked to see it without being sued.

My reports will continue, but maybe the next couple will have to be nothing but good ones! As it turns out, I have been investigating buyers agents and their like recently, and the next report promises to be rather positive anyway.

So, by telling it how it is, speaking the facts, sharing personal experiences, you can end up in court. Great legal system isn't it.

My advice to all of you is not to publish anything of a negative nature about anyone in any form of public forum.

Maybe you all better watch the courts and if you see someone in a trenchcoat, dark glasses, false beard and a hat, it's probably me.

Property Investigator
 
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Reply: 1
From: Anonymous


PI

Just being inquisitive, and I hope you don't mind the anonymous nature of this posting, but I'm curious as to how you have been tracked down, given that you're only using a hotmail address?

If it's possible to track people down through a web-based email address, then I'm sure other forum users might want to know about it!

Thanks, and good luck!
 
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Reply: 2
From: Tibor Bode


PI,

I just wrote some comments on another thread regarding to this subject. This kind of nonsense is a new type of fascism or communism
by trying to take away our freedom to express opinions.

Idiots tried it in several dictatorial regimes with no success. Maybe some of our pollies should be lobbied to bring in a law to stop this nonsense. This reminds me more an more about what I have escaped from 20 odd years ago. Right to free speech is one of the basic pillar of democracy. Without this right, democracy can not exist. If this freedom is oppressed on public forums, then it will just go underground and will be much more damaging to the entire society. I would have thought that history gave sufficient examples that oppression does not work in the long term. Maybe I am just too stupid to believe that we can learn from our mistakes in the past and not making them again.

Tibor
 
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Reply: 2.1
From: Alan Hill


PI,

If you'd like to 'publish' the email address of the Company(nothing wrong with that!), I'm sure there would be MANY of us that would be happy to e-mail them on your behalf to express our support for a bit of free speech.

I for one was one of the people who received your e-mail and to to be honest I thought it was very mild. You were actually positive in some ways and you went out of your way not to publish it in an open forum such as this, and further, to have it legally reviewed before you proceeded.

Personally, I would be happy to let the Company know that I believe this type of ridiculous action is putting them in a FAR worse light than anything you may have said.......and if the Company is listening ......believe it!!

Perhaps the Freestyler Network would like to continually keep all its members(at all its meetings, across the Country) aware of the progress of this action too. This may also be an interesting future article for Australian Property Investor Magazine. I'm sure it's a topic we can carefully discuss on this Forum for a long time too. By all means, if the Company would like its name 'promoted', let's keep the discussion going in as many forums as possible.

I'm the first to support a Group that has been unfairly slandered, but as an 'average Joe' in the street, who read the e-mail, I think this Company have made a HUGE mistake.

I couldn't agree with you more Tibor. I have been fortunate enough to grow up in an environment free of the oppression you mentioned and personally I treasure that
freedom.

Do I sound furious? Good....I am!

:( :( :(
 
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Reply: 2.1.1
From: Mike .


Hi,

What did Ric in Casablanca say?..."Of all the crumby gin joints in the world, etc, you had to walk into mine." PI must be thinking..."Of all the marketing companies I could have investigated I had to pick these scumbags."

Now I have a problem because there are several threads about this company which I had planned to archive as a group with other Marketing Companies. PI's report looks tame by comparison to some of the earlier posted remarks. In fact, back in Jan 2001, one forum person was made to apologize for their remarks on this forum by the same company. Question is, do I archive that stuff? What should I do? Will they go after me or the Website host if I do?

Regards, Mike
 
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Reply: 2.1.1.1
From: Glenn Mott


Mike,

Probably time to speak to your own soliciters and also the former moderators of Hotcopper.

Glenn
 
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Reply: 3
From: Dale Gatherum-Goss


Hi!

I just posted elsewhere on a similar topic. If you tell the truth and can prove it, then, you cannot lose the case - however, you still have the stress and the costs involved in fighting the case.

I'm willing to put some dollars in a pot towards a fighting fund if others on this forum will as well.

If we unite, then, we will win and hopefully show the company in question, to be what you have exposed.

Keep up the good work and don't be bullied by this bullshit!

Dale
 
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Reply: 4
From: Anonymous


I'm with you Dale, I will put up some money to fight these mongrels.
The answer is to get as much publicity as possible (anybody have any influential media contacts?) and put these guys out of business.
I think they have just shot themselves in the foot big time.
 
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Reply: 4.1
From: Dale Gatherum-Goss


Hi

Where is Jas? She is a journalist and will know who to talk to.

Sick em!!

Dale
 
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Reply: 4.1.1
From: Tibor Bode


Hi PI, Dale and everyone else.

I am also willing to join in. I don't want to live again in a world when I have to be frightened for economic or other loss because I dare to criticize an individual or a company who does the wrong thing with their customers. They obviously do not understand that without customers the company is BROKE!

At the same time, I am also willing to praise individuals and companies and recommend them who are providing excellent service and what I have already done on this and other forums.

Tibor
 
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Reply: 4.1.1.1
From: Ian Findlay


Hi all,

In support of Property Investigator, perhaps some friendly journalists,
consumer affairs or TV show would like to take an interest in this story.
Anybody have any useful contacts?

As the details of the case could be argued to be in public domain,
journalists could easily argue that their extensive coverage of that firm
would be in the public interest.

Another possibility is to get your MPs interested enough to discuss the
issue in parliament using parliamentary privilege therefore no libel. Also
gets reported in Hansard, a public document.

The main thing is to let as many people (and potential customers) know about
this firms alleged tactics.

Ian
 
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Reply: 3.1
From: Alan Hill



Count me in for some $'s in the pot if required too Dale.........although I thought you would have been more of a 'Trust' kind of guy....

;)
 
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Reply: 3.1.1
From: Dale Gatherum-Goss


Hi Alan!

Me, I'm just a quiet, unassuming accountant by day - but, by night . . . nah, I'm still a quiet, unassuming accountant. Well nearly!

I'm not afraid of being sued because I won nothing! It's all in trusts and out of reach, of course.

Seriously, I find it offensive that this sort of behaviour goes on and I am not afraid to say so.

Have fun

Dale
 
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Reply: 4.1.1.1.1
From: Gail H


Hi everyone,

As a barrister who sees people bankrupted by the court system every day, I have to say, please be careful everyone. Yes, truth is a defence to libel (and there are several others), but the challenge of "proving" an allegation is true to the satisfaction of a court is another question altogether. And then if you win, they can appeal it. Two years later, you are still paying out. If you ultimately lose, you will then have to pay the other side's costs. Hello bankruptcy court.

The system is a costly nightmare.I understand that the right to free speech is critical, but is it worth losing everything over? And I mean everything.

Property investigator - please consider settling in some way if you really think this crowd is serious. Don't think I'm a chicken everyone. I spend every day of my life in those trenches and I'm telling you....don't go there.

Good luck

Gail
 
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Reply: 4.1.1.1.1.1
From: Manny B


I personally think this makes a good topic for "A Current Affair" OR "Today Tonight". They like topics such as this, where your freedom of speech is being compromised & not have the ability to share your experiences about various companies (and the service they offer) to others...

I don't know how to contact them, but if you call the switchboard of Channel 7 or 9 they should point you to the right direction...

Manny.
 
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Reply: 4.1.1.1.1.1.1
From: W W


Before they can sue the Property Investigator, they have to find out who he is! I am sure that when he registered for hotmail, he didn't use his real name.

I think they are just trying to scare him.

Passive
 
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Reply: 4.1.1.1.1.1.1.1
From: Aaron Dwyer


In order for the property investigator to examine for their report.

I believe he/she would pose as a newbie client.

Hence they might have the information they need.??
--
Aaron Dwyer
~ To know and not to do, is really not to know at all.
 
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Reply: 4.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1
From: Mr Overview


Go the Property Investigator !!

Ok can he be traced do they know who he is......probably not.

Hotmail accounts are incredible difficult and costly to trace......one would assume that PI is smart enough not to put his real name on it.

Tracing hotmails, location points and re imaging data is big $$$$ and big business.....so unless the company he is investigating is a Fortune 500.....they have 2/5s of nothing to go buy.....nor the budget required to do it.

Assuming thats the case........the only way he can be threatened or summonsed is via e-mail........very funny really....cant see the sheriff popping up on your screen serving you papers.

Hopefully all they have id PIs e-mail !!

Please tell us all you are ok PI.

For the rest of you that want to send of freedom of speech and our worried about your freedom........go to a public computer.....get a hotmail account......and away you go........if they trace you.....they will get to your Local Library !!!! lol.....bit hard to bust the Librarian !!!......so thats the trick.....take it from Mr Overview !!
 
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Reply: 4.1.1.1.1.2
From: Alan Hill


Good points Gail, and without speaking about this case specifically, I'd like to ask you a more general question based on your experience of these types of cases.

I would have thought in this type of situation, there would normally be two stages.

Firstly the perceived damage that was caused by the initial action to either the individual or Company.

Secondly the resultant damage that may be caused to the individual or company as a result of actually bringing the action. I guess here I am referring to adverse publicity etc.

I would imagine in many cases you see, the actual damage to the parties could be worse from Stage 2 than Stage 1?

Hmmmmmmm........since most of the individuals and Companies presumably have lives and businesses to run outside of this type of action(and don't really need the distraction), it probably makes more sense , in most cases, for the parties to go back to their individual 'corners of the ring' and agree to part with differing opinions?

This would of course require the party bringing the action to drop any such action asap.

Would this be a more sensible course of action for all parties concerned in many of the cases that you have observed?


:)
 
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Reply: 4.1.1.1.1.2.1
From: See Change


Also like to add

From my experience in Legal matters, the only winners are the lawyers.

Have yet to met one person who , after a visit to the courts, has come away happy.
Some have come away vindicated , but in the mean time they have put their life on hold and often stuffed up their personal relationships.

see change

it's better to be guided by your dreams than your fears
 
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