Acquisition By Scarborough Group
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KEVIN McCabe's property group Scarborough Group International has bought the business and assets of a number of companies in the collapsed Modus portfolio in a £37m deal.
Scarborough Development Group, a subsidiary of SGI, has stepped in to acquire the business and assets of Modus Properties and seven other Modus companies.
Tom Jack and Simon Allport, of Ernst & Young, were appointed joint administrators of 15 companies in the Salford-based Modus Group last June.
Mr Jack said: "This is a significant deal to have completed, particularly given the current challenges in the property market for developers and investors.
“The sale will ensure commercial, retail and leisure schemes will now be completed in a number of key locations, including the North West and Wales.”
SGI is one of the UK’s leading property development, investment and leisure companies and is owned by Yorkshire entrepreneur Mr McCabe.
Ernst & Young was advised by DLA Piper, led by Patrick Duffy, Tom Kelsall and Peter Somekh.
Accountancy firm Ernst & Young was appointed to the companies last year following the collapse into administration of the group company Modus Ventures.
The banking group Investec has committed £37m to seven of the companies. Administrators expect it will suffer a shortfall on its investment.
Salford-based Modus, led by Brendan Flood, rapidly acquired a large portfolio of development sites but the group began to unravel when one of its lenders, HBOS, called in a loan to Modus Ventures. The group was unable to pay so the bank appointed administrators.
Six other companies have been dissolved, while KPMG is handling the administrations of six other Modus companies that were set up to handle shopping centre sites.
The Modus empire began to unravel last March when its £200m Trinity Walk shopping centre scheme in Wakefield, a joint venture development with South Africa's CIREF, was placed in administration with KPMG. The scheme is subsequently back on track.
Then on May 18, KPMG was also appointed to the administrations of Modus Properties (Wigan) and Modus (Wigan) - which operate the town's Grand Arcade shopping centre.
The administration of Modus Ventures, which controlled a group of more than 40 companies, followed at the end of May. And at the beginning of June KPMG was again appointed to Modus Corovest (Blackpool) which operated the Houndshill Shopping Centre in Blackpool.