There are three parts to this question. All three must be answered. They carry equal weight. Part a) Anita owns a small clothing boutique on the high street in Bedford, selling vintage pieces. On 01st March, Samuel called her boutique to purchase her most expensive item, a leather handbag that was worth £20,0000. Excited at getting a good price, Anita agreed to the sale and took Samuel’s details. Samuel confirmed that he was purchasing the bag on behalf of his company, Minted Ltd, and sent an email confirming the purchase of the goods from a company email address. On 03rd March, Anita posted the handbag to Samuel via recorded delivery. She received a notification that Samuel had accepted the delivery on 04th March. Anita contacted Samuel for payment, which both parties had agreed would be via bank transfer. However, despite repeated attempts, Samuel’s phone was switched off. Worried, Anita visited the delivery address to find that it was an abandoned warehouse and not a ‘swanky office block’ as Samuel had previously stated. Horrified, Anita realised that she had been scammed. She checked the Companies House website to determine whether the company was registered only to find that no such company existed. Anita immediately called the police and filed a report. On the same day, Samuel met Janet, a keen collector of leather handbags, in a café by chance. He offered the handbag to Janet for £500, which she gladly accepted knowing how expensive the handbag was. The police managed to trace the handbag to Janet on 08th March. Advise Janet whether she can keep the bag. Part b) Ayla passed her driving test last year. After failing her test on many occasions, she decided to treat herself to the latest Ford Fiesta. Being a student, she was unable to pay for the car at once, so acquired the car on a hire-purchase agreement from RS Finance, for 24 months, with monthly instalments of £500 and an option to purchase for £100. After driving the car for a year, Ayla wanted a change. She advertised her car for sale and was contacted by Maryam. Ayla informed Maryam that the car was in ‘mint condition,’ and that she was willing to sell it at a knock down price of £5000. Happy at the low price, Maryam purchased the car and started working on it in her garage as it had a few issues with the brake pads and engine. Once Maryam had carried out the work, she sold the car to her niece, Shareen for £6000. Shareen had recently started university so the car was perfect for her daily commute. Shareen has received a letter from RS Finance demanding the return of the car. Advice Shareen whether she can keep the car. Part c) Shannice is getting married in July. To help fund the costs of her wedding, she approached her cousin Bob, who owns a garage, to advertise her car for sale. She specifically informed Bob not to sell her car until she agreed to the purchase price. Bob reassured her that he would not do so and to ‘go enjoy herself before her big day!’ Shannice took her car keys but forgot to take her registration documents that were in the boot of her car. Bob knew where his cousin Shannice kept her spare key at home and took it without Shannice knowing. He unlocked the boot, obtained the registration documents and sold the car to Sandara. Shannice returned a few days later to see her car had been sold. Furious, she demanded Bob take her to Sandara to get the car back. Sandara refused to return the car, stating that she had paid ‘good money’ for the car and that she and Bob go back a ‘long time.’ Advise Shannice whether Sandara can keep the car. should ensure that all answers to the questions presented are fully supported and substantiated with reference to relevant case law, legislation and other relevant sources.
