May 30, 2007

Legal Letter from Grand Seasons International

Lawyers representing Grand Seasons International have sent us a letter (referring to this entry?).

We are seeking legal advice, and are sympathetic with parties who feel they may have been aggrieved by contributors to Tomorrow.sg. We are also mindful that threats of legal action should never be used to quash legitimate and valid criticism on the internet.

If you know anyone who has had dealings with Grand Seasons International, and who can assist us in this case, we would appreciate it if you could ask them to email us at admin@tomorrow.sg to establish the merits of this particular case.


Our Ref: JSG/1311/07
Date: 23 May 2007

Editor
Tomorrow.sg
Registrar: Vooju Pte Ltd
Registrant: James Seng
[Address]

Dear Sir

GRAND SEASONS INTERNATIONAL - TIMESHARE SCAM COMPANY

We act for M/s Grand Seasons International Pte Ltd.

Our clients instruct that a blog has been published in your Bulletin of Singapore Bloggers at the following url address: http://tomorrow.sg/archives/2006/10/23/grand_seasons_international_ti.html with the heading in bold "Grand Season International-TimeShare Scam Company".

We are instructed that the above words are defamatory of our clients and our client's reputation and goodwill has been disparaged and seriously damage. It is common knowledge that the Internet has millions of users who have free and open access to the words complained of.

In the premises our clients instruct that unless the above offending words are removed from the above url address and from the bulletin board within the next 5 days from the date hereof our clients shall have no alternative but to proceed as they deem fit in the matter.

Our clients also seek your co-operation to disclose the name and address of "GECKO" who has posted comment on 23/10/06 regarding our clients in the captioned matter as our clients intend to pursue their legal rights against the writer.

Yours faithfully,

Jagjit Singh Gill

cc clients

Submitted by jseng on May 30//9:17am and published by jseng, Agagooga :: 20188 reads | trackback (9)
Comments 69

CRIMES AGAINST THE ELDERLY TO STEAL ALL THEIR ASSETS , NOW INCLUDING MURDER :
Now Murder Suspect Joe D Milner from the Milner Law Firm.
Joe d Milner a criminal of law had filed frivolous and secret suits against an elderly couple Guadalupe and Raul,
Joe D Milner working in Concert with criminal Jami Milner Turner, Criminal Scott Jevon Milner and Lonni Milner(wife of Joe D Milner) who all work in The Milner Law Firm kept secret all suits, no service, no attempted service.
Joe D Milner working in Concert with Jami Milner Turner, Scott Jevon Milner and Lonni Milner purposely gives a “fake” last known address for the elderly couple not to know Joe D Milner working in Concert with Jami Milner Turner, Scott Jevon Milner and Lonni Milner were stealing all their assets and property.
Then Joe D Milner, Jami Milner Turner, Scott Jevon Milner and Lonni Milner working with the Lowry Family started physical violence against the elderly couple (above 7o years of age) knowing Guadalupe had a heart condition.
Joe D Milner working in Concert with Jami Milner Turner, Scott Jevon Milner and Lonni Milner made the frivolous suits and proceedings super fast to steal all the assets, bank accounts and land from the elderly couple without their knowledge, and in fact Joe D Milner with Jami Milner Turner, Scott Jevon Milner and Lonni Milner in just one month and a half were granted 35 million dollars out of jurisdiction against the elderly couple.
But the Law Requires service to be made, so Joe D Milner with Jami Milner Turner, Scott Jevon Milner and Lonni Milner used a company call Austin process solution and Mike Techow who claimed by perjury he had served the elderly couple. 3 months later after the judgment was granted, Mike Techow claimed also by affidavit he did not served the elderly couple, but already too late since the appeal time was expired.
Joe D Milner with Jami Milner Turner, Scott Jevon Milner and Lonni Milner did not even sent any decrees or judgment to the elderly couple and also kept it secret.
But also Joe D Milner with Jami Milner Turner, Scott Jevon Milner and Lonni Milner kept secret the last known address from the constable, from the court, and from the banks.
Immediately Joe D Milner with Jami Milner Turner, Scott Jevon Milner and Lonni Milner emptied all the bank accounts of the elderly couple, without any of their knowledge.
Then Joe D Milner with Jami Milner Turner, Scott Jevon Milner and Lonni Milner started to auction the properties of the elderly couple, also without notice or their knowledge.
At this time and been nearly 3 months later, the elderly found their properties were been auctioned and hired attorneys, who told them about the frivolous suit of Joe D Milner with Jami Milner Turner, Scott Jevon Milner and Lonni Milner, who had even committed perjuries and false pleadings claiming (false) events happened in Austin Texas to make the frivolous fraud out of jurisdiction. When in fact Guadalupe and Raul were not even in the U.S.A at that time.
Joe D Milner with Jami Milner Turner, Scott Jevon Milner and Lonni Milner working in concert with others had also stolen financial records from the inside of the home of the elderly couple and Joe D Milner with Jami Milner Turner, Scott Jevon Milner and Lonni Milner used it for fraud to obtain millions of dollars.
The Elderly couple countersues immediately, but when they went and delivered the evidence against the crimes of Joe D Milner with Jami Milner Turner, Scott Jevon Milner and Lonni Milner, and others and in less than two weeks, Raul was murdered in front of his elderly wife Guadalupe.
Joe D Milner with Jami Milner Turner, Scott Jevon Milner and Lonni Milner immediately started to remove all evidence against them from the court.
Today the evidence against these criminals Joe D Milner with Jami Milner Turner, Scott Jevon Milner and Lonni Milner have been set online as follows
The start of the fraud at: http://www.newsoftexas.info/Milner_Law_firm_.html
More extensive brief: www.pendingjustice.com
Evidence the Milner Law Firm Used now used against them since it proves their fraud and crimes: www.judgewrong.org
Joe D Milner with Jami Milner Turner, Scott Jevon Milner and Lonni Milner have removed several sites protecting from this case been known. Joe D Milner and Jami Milner Turner are murder suspects of Raul.
Joe D Milner with Jami Milner Turner, Scott Jevon Milner and Lonni Milner who all worked on the Milner Law Firm in Austin Texas at Spicewood springs work with others to steal the assets of the elderly and others without their knowledge.
Beware of these criminals, they have influence and work with Judges like Judge John K Dietz to obtain Millions of illegal profits, even Judge John K Dietz grants decrees against the law and constitution,

Grand Seasons International (GSI) is running a legitimate business and Gecko being sued because without proof or evident whatsoever, used the words, 'CON' and 'SCAM' opening himself/herself up for suit. You guys out there can say or post anything you want but not without proof or evident. If you said Tan Ah Kow's chichen rice is bad but have not even try it yourself? GSI have got thousands of members who went holidays and using the membership happily but just a few of you out there who are not even its members OR cant afford to take its membership OR got too much time on hand to write or post stuff, etc. Try the chicken rice before you open your mouth. If you cant afford the chicken rice then SHUT UP!

So... tomorrow.sg also got threatenedbefore.
Nowadays, what's wrong with Singapore?!

My support as well.

Fuck freedom of speech, but hail common sense it is that in blog consumers can express their anger via words just as they can express their discontent in public forums.

If Tan Ah Kow chicken rice sucks, it's just SUCKS. We are not Shakespears or trained journalist or poet to write like:
Tan Ah Kow Chicken Rice so tasted...
may ride the standards to sewage...
befitting kinds not with a tongue for fine appreciation...

I consider that rubbish.

Scope.

May I know is there anyone receive a lawyer letter of defamation from a timeshare company recently ?

URGENT!!!

Trackback from Angelocracy:

The Price of Freedom is Eternal Vigilance...

Have u taken a look at the link yet? http://tomorrow.sg/archives/2006/10/23/grand_seasons_international_ti.html

WOW! How sad...

Posted by Anonymous Coward* on 6 June, 2007 - 5:18pm

bullying tacts - just like Durai suing people for claiming he took first class travelling. only he met his match tying to sue SPH. Wonder who taught theses people the bullying tatics.

Posted by SevenEleven* on 4 June, 2007 - 1:12pm

This is a legitimate and admirable effort to defend free speech by the editors of Tomorrow.sg.

But there some points to consider:
1) Is there evidence to show that staff at the company are using "illegal" pressure tactics to sell their products?
2)Were the consumers "duped" into buying the scheme?

Defending the case would be difficult if there is no evidence showing the above. Otherwise it would be gecko/tomorrow's words against theirs.

Some organisations are not doing things in a better way than they should be doing. Yet they have the audacity to sue others! If someone is doing things rights, he would have the peace to just carry on, oblivious to everything, for he believes the One up there will bless him. For me, I can't be bothered with half truths hurled at me, for I always believe the One up there has eyes. I am not being schaden freude, but by golly, He really judges and metes out the right judgement! So long as we do things right, we don't have to worry about what others say!

In case the above paragraph sounds too "cheem" for the Hotel's lawyers who don't even write proper English, let me rephrase in Singlish.

Some companies, hor, never do things properly. Yet, they yaya papaya want to sue other people.! If someone do things correctly, don't care what other people say or do mah.... just carry on hor, because Ti Kong surely will bless. For me, I don't care what other people say or do, because I believe Ti Kong has eyes. Not that I am pai sim (schaden freude) but Ti Kong really judge and punish. Don't play play. If we do the right things, don't care what others say.

To claim defamation, Grand Seasons will have to prove their business has been affected by the post - and that means having their business practice scrutinized. If the blog posting is true, I don't think they'll like that. They're probably banking on the fact that Tomorrow doesn't want any trouble and will be intimidated by the letter into giving in. Were this SPH, I think they'd think twice, cos failure to prove their case can easily lead to a countersuit - or worse. :-)

Posted by SimpleSandra* on 2 June, 2007 - 9:17pm

Trackback from TODAY: Lawyer's letter served on editors of Tomorrow.sg:

POPULAR blog aggregator Tomorrow.sg has been served its first legal letter after publishing an allegedly defamatory posting about a timeshare company,...

lets track back more 8 yrs ago..

THE National Kidney Foundation plans to take out a court order to compel the Internet Access Service Providers to reveal the names and other details of subscribers who have been circulating a defamatory e-mail against it.

The court order, which may take between two weeks and a month to obtain, will be the first ever served on SingNet, Pacific Internet and CyberWay, to force them to disclose information on their subscribers.

An NKF spokesman said it was making this unprecedented move because its reputation had been undermined by the offending e-mail which had reached "thousands".

Ms Matilda Chua, NKF's senior associate director, said that other organisations had faced e-mail attacks in the past, "but we choose to stand up and face them".

She said the IASPs had been informed of its intention to take out a court order and have been asked to prepare material necessary for identifying these people.

A spokesman for Pacific Internet confirmed this, saying that the company had received the notification yesterday. But all three IASPs said they would provide the information only when NKF produced the court order. Until then, no customer information would be released.

NKF's action stems from an e-mail that was sent out by Madam Tan Kiat Noi who had, among other things, accused the NKF of paying ridiculously high bonuses to its staff and urged others not to give donations to the foundation.

She has since paid up $50,000 in damages, apologised publicly and retracted her statements.

http://www.dpa.org.sg/news/news_may_1999-4.htm

Posted by Luther Blissett* on 2 June, 2007 - 5:52pm

My nephew has a time share with some hotel. Every time want to book hor.... no room. How can like that? These people only want to make $$$, mei yiu liang xin. (no heart for others ).

For me, it was easy. I asked all the companies who asked me to buy their products.... from time shares, to mlm products, etc. that I was broke and in need of a loan... could they kindly lend me some $$$ since they must be doing extremely well just as they had boasted. Ha! Ha! It did the trick! Like a poor, little trapped bird, I was finally able to
sing, "Fly, Robin, Fly, Fly Robin Fly, If you don't fly, you're sure to die!" :-)

Trackback from Warblings of a Little Bird:

Printed from the now-defunct Singaporeans for Democracy website into hardcopy more than a decade ago, it was decided to re-publish this in the light of the legal action threatened against Singaporean blog aggregator Tomorrow....

Trackback from Mr Wang Says So: Consumer and the Law:

Mr Wang offers his perspective on the issue....

The stupidest thing you can ever do nowadays is to sue a site with tons of readers.

Posted by WP* on 1 June, 2007 - 3:18pm

Not exactly true. If they get this website to shut down, or at least if they establish a precedent of obtaining a court order to have those comments deleted, it will be worth all that bad publicity.

It would mean that everybody hosting a site in Singapore would have to bow and scrape to all the corporations.

Posted by aaronkwok* on 1 June, 2007 - 6:43pm

And "in the(ir) premises (their) client instruct [...] to the words complained of" , I really want to see what's really "seriously damage".

Posted by Anonymous Coward* on 1 June, 2007 - 2:33pm

All they asked was for the heading to be removed. Like somebody already pointed out, just add a Question mark "?" to the end of it and case close for tomorrow.sg.

If I'm not wrong, Gurdip & Gill is a tiny little law firm with just 2 practicing partners. This law firm do not have deep pocket and I doubt a timeshare company is willing to pump large amount of money into defending the brand name of the company. If they do, they would have engaged a larger law firm.

The usual practice for timeshare companies were to close one company and start a new one with new name. It is also their practices to pressure you to a corner and trick you to make rush decision.

So, just add a ? and smile back at them. If they take legal action, the blogging community should be able to get a larger law firm to provide Pro Bona service. It's good media milage for the white knight lawyer. Especially against a timeshare or related companies...

They can sue you for defaming them, sure, if you actually did that. But they can't sue you for spreading news about their defamation suit on the internet and asking for help. The actual defamation and the defamation suit are a totally different matters. So what's wrong with publicising it? If you don't raise awareness on the internet, how are your witnesses going to come forward to support you?

Posted by Anonymous Coward* on 1 June, 2007 - 11:15am

You don't make a defamation case against you better, by republishing a defamatory comment. By further publicising the wrongful comment - even if to gather "evidence" - you are only hurting the defamed person's reputation more. He would therefore be able to claim that this had caused him an even greater loss, and more in damages.

Responsible reporting requires a reporter to verify the accuracy and / or reasonableness of his sources, before he publishes his article. It follows that in a legal suit or threat of a suit, the reporter can easily point to his source in his defence.

Understandably this is very difficult if not impossible in the case of a meta aggregator such as tomorrow.sg. For this reason, there is no duty on the administrators of meta aggregator to remove or prevent the posting of every potentially offensive content. However, when alerted to such content, reasonable steps should be taken to suspend the display of such content until its accuracy (or otherwise) is verified.

Posted by Just follow law* on 1 June, 2007 - 1:50pm

For the last time, you. spread. news. about. the. case. in. a. neutral. manner. You. do. not. republish. the. defamatory. words. unless. you. are. an. idiot. What is wrong if you go around sending emails saying "I've been sued, please help."?

Posted by Anonymous Coward* on 14 June, 2007 - 12:53am

Trackback from Timeshare tried to con me:

Reading about how a timeshare company is suing Tomorrow.sg for defamation, I am reminded of my own close encounter. ...

You have to ask, if you dont, they will never help. But once you ask, everything will just come together, that's how organized they are. They will hit so hard that the cost will just be too high to continue. They always hit or invade first. At the end of the day, its just a high stakes poker game. And no offence, but I think u just dont have it to see the game thru. So you have to ask.

I thinks this is a great marketing tactic for Grand Seasons. If they lose, at least they believed in your brand and value.

If they win, then its removing bad publicity, and be sure that they will publish it.

Either way, they will get publicity, and the overall outcome, is that they will appear more credible.

Posted by Anonymous Coward* on 1 June, 2007 - 10:18am

From http://www.lawgazette.com.sg/2005-11/Nov05-feature1.htm -

If you feel confident enough, make all the comments you want provided that you are: (a) sure of its truthfulness (and can prove it in a court of law); (b) making a fair comment (and not just any sort of comment but one of ‘public interest’); or (c) replying to comments made about you by another person to defend yourself and to protect your self-interest. You can also get the consent of the subject to insult him or her, but make sure you have it in writing and that it is not obtained illegitimately, such as by duress or undue influence.

Posted by Just follow law* on 1 June, 2007 - 9:43am

Durai style eh? Call in big lawyers and use fanciful letters to threaten people before their "reputation" goes public. No originality. However, Durai only lost because SPH had enough money to challenge the case (unlike those poor people who had to submit to his demands), so if you have no money, got to use alternatives.

Try and publicise this matter as much as possible, blogs, youtube, interviews, podcasts, msn, chain mails/smses, post on STOMP and get help from the popular bloggers in Singapore. Sure, they may fight one person, but they can't fight everyone.

After all, we all know about these Timeshare companies, many of which have already been brought to the attention of CASE. It's probably not the company's fault, but the employees. The company has to set rules for its employees though.

Posted by Anonymous Coward* on 1 June, 2007 - 12:36am

Tomorrow.sg. If I were you. I would go and ask the brotherhood for help. If they stand beside you none of these people will dare to move. I know for a fact, their leader is someone who is very rich and powerful in the real world.

Yeah, they can only bully all the kuichi fry. Why dont they go and try it with the brotherhood? Those people will fight them from here to eternity.

Don't be put off by a legal letter (oh, btw, it looks like a two-man small firm, and it has a typo - 2nd para - 'seriously damage[d]'. Overall, a badly drafted and worded legal letter - typical of small law firms.

Grand Seasons has alleged defamation (libel), but they have conveniently failed to consider defences to defamation. If what Gecko said is true, or mostly true, there is the defence of justification - and consequently the claim would fail.

Even if the allegation of time-shares is not a scam, but if Gecko can prove the basis on which she made those comments, there is a possible defence of fair comment.

Posted by Anonymous Coward* on 31 May, 2007 - 6:10pm

Trackback from A Case without CASE:

See, you never hear about a CASE member--and it costs you only $25/year to be one--lodging a complaint being sued for defamation, do you? ...

I am not sure... if tomorrow.sg refuses to take down the posting and indeed this goes to Court - wouldn't the matter be blown up further and more would know about the controversy and the supposed scam. This would incur the wrath of all bloggers and supporters of tomorrow.sg and make Grand Seasons International look bad and worse - petty. Not sure whether that's what Grand Seasons want though. They can then also go around hunting for other blogs that will carry the sensational news...ha ha - good luck to them.

Trackback from Time share company issues legal letter to Tomorrow.sg:

It's stupid for Grand Seasons International to take Tomorrow.sg and Gecko to court because then everyone will know more about how time share companies operate and the practices and tactics used to get customers. ...

I think DK got it right!!

Where is the digg button??

It is tomorrow.sg that is now getting the heat, not you and I who is happily commenting. The feeling may not be the same for the ppl at tomorrow.sg

If there's a digg button, we'll digg it right through the center of the earth and let the whole world knows. Tomorrow.sg may have better support then we commenting here :-)


Anonymous Coward

Posted by Anonymous Coward* on 31 May, 2007 - 10:55am

hmmz.. I thought I'd add, if they pursue, maybe they end up blowing it up in their face like tt.durai...

Posted by Anonymous Coward 6* on 31 May, 2007 - 8:11am

One key factor that timeshares/ GSI are still around in Singapore is because their registered principle company is at ‘Virgin Island’. In pursue such case legally would be a waste of time and resources (in such scenario lawyers would advised you not to) If I recalled correctly, the high point was during 2001 where many victims filed cases against timeshare. CASE was called in to amend the business act against timeshares.

Is the legal letter real, perhaps (they have their own advisor in legal practice in GSI, that explains the lousy job in drafting the letter) but would they pursued this case ‘NO’. Do check out Timeshare/ GSI company capital setup fund. Do your homework and you would know why.

Just patronize them with a reply letter drafted by a law firm. (Cost you no more than $300 per letter)

Some learned people cannot differentiate between a meta aggregator and a blog, ad nauseum.

Bollocks. Utter bollocks. And that letter has grammatical failings that I could stick a lil furry hamster through.

The law of unintended consequences still work here. And it's a pity that the qualified blowback of said non-imperalist American origin (as originally deduced and engineered in literary works), is not evidently sensed and seen by those who should.

Just add a question mark at the end of the title of the post :

GRAND SEASONS INTERNATIONAL - TIMESHARE SCAM COMPANY?

That's what CNN does to avoid getting sued.

Posted by Anonymous Coward* on 30 May, 2007 - 11:36pm

The problem is that those kind of scams sales schemes are legal in Sinpapore, as part as its pro-business stance.

Posted by Anonymous Coward* on 30 May, 2007 - 10:55pm

Does this law firm represent the hotels group or the time share company? The letter doesn't specify. I doubt the timeshare company will press charges as legal proceedings will bring its internal business practices up for public scrutiny. Not too good if you want to operate under the radar.

retarded.

if anything , i would say that your article is fair comment (and if i might dare add, absolute truth, which defeats any defence that the company might have.). no malice here, so whyy would there be a defamatory case.


some lawyers are retarded. legal letters are so passe. i bet grandseaons international can hardly afford the legal fees required to fight this case out in court.

Posted by Anonymous Coward* on 30 May, 2007 - 6:55pm

It's well and good that you have produced the letterhead of the law firm handling this case.

I call upon all tomorrow readers to go to their premises and turn their offices upside down. We will beat the shit out of those motherfuckers!! Hahaha!!!

It's 371 Beach Road Keypoint #08-09. They probably have a glass front so a few bricks should do the trick.

By all means keep posting little sieteocho. You do know that tomorrow.sg records your IP, don't you. Run like the coward that you are, little 1.42m dwarf :-P

Be there or be square.

Or short.

yuk! yuk! yuk!

*yawn*

This is so 1990.

Where is the digg button?