Martin Lee @ Sg
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Jardin Smith International

Last Saturday, I was invited to a exhibition held by Jardin Smith International, a local company that sells UK land to investors in Singapore and other countries. Jardin Smith International holds these kinds of events quite frequently, each time at a different venue. In my case, it was held at Ritz Carlton Hotel. I have not been to Ritz before, so it took me a while to find the place.

Upon arrival, I was greeted by a client relationship manager (or salesperson), whose job was to make me feel comfortable and explain to me the concept of how it all works. So I was treated to some free food and there was the usual idle talk before we got down into business.

Having already been to a presentation by another company that sells UK land, I was familiar with the concept. Here’s how it works:

  1. The company purchases a plot of greenbelt land. This is land that cannot be developed unless it is rezoned (a process known as getting planning permission) by the government.
  2. The land is sub-divided into many smaller plots and sold to investors.
  3. The company retains 25% of the land so that it is also “vested” along with the investors.
  4. The company goes out to apply for planning permission. This process will take many years. As such, this is more of a long term investment. We are told this would take five to ten years at the minimum.
  5. Once planning permission is obtained, the value of the land will rise 5-10 times (from your purchase price) and you can realise your gains when the entire site is sold. In Jardin Smith International’s case, 60% of the owners will have to agree before it can be sold.

The reasons why we should investing in UK land (as told by the company) are as follows:

  • UK has a housing problem and land will only become lesser and lesser.
  • The price of land has been increasing steadily (About 20-fold in the last 15 years).
  • 2012 Summer Olympics will be held in London and this will have positive effect on the property market.

The plot on offer by Jardin was being sold for a cool $30,000. An initial deposit of 10% was required and could be paid by credit card. The balance could be paid by credit card and UOB cardholders could even pay by interest-free 12 months installment plans.

I politely told the client relationship manager that I didn’t have the money at the moment and wasn’t interested. She was quite persistent and even suggested I just pay the deposit first. I wasn’t going to do that since I won’t be able to finance the remaining 90%. She was pretty disappointed and made a last ditch effort to ask me for referrals. Of course I would not refer any of my friends to a company that I had not fully researched on.

Tomorrow, I will write about some of the things you need to be aware of if you are investing in UK land.
See also Dangers of UK Land Banking.

Besides the land investment, there was also a side booth promoting a property City House, Croydon in London. According to the person I spoke to, he was helping some investment fund sell off their units.

1-bedroom units were available for about 215,000 GBP and 2-bedroom units for 250,000 GBP. 12% of the amount would be payable within 28 days, another 13% due at completion (end 2009) and the remaining 75% can be bank financed by Lloyds.

The rental yields are estimated at 5% and if the units are rental out, it would be able to cover the interest payments. It looked interesting to me but being not very inexperienced in this area (other than the fact that I can’t really afford it now), I decided to give it a miss.

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Leave a Comment:

356 comments
Timothy says a few days ago

My wife also brought the plot of land and we now looking how to get the refund.

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Kumudhavalli says 3 weeks ago

Gone thru the same.

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Sallie says a few months ago

I had bought tricthfield solar.approval 2017.till today no NEWS.water or ton Birmingham piece of land acquire by high speed rail.i had recieved letters from Uk Govt.JSI email us for power attorney.as we did not reply s consider Agreed.2020.can we have ts group who are involved in Ts investment in Facebook.what are your final decisions to made. Pls advice .

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    Timothy says a few days ago

    My wife also brought it and now looking how to get refund from JS.

    Reply
David says last year

Hi guys, anyone of you invested with Jardin Smith? Have they closed down? I called the main line and it’s engaged perpetually. I googled but doesn’t seem to find anyone filing complaint against this company. Are there anyone out there who is in the same boat as i am? Let’s get together and discuss! my email is [email protected]. David

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    Timothy says a few days ago

    My wife also brought plot of land in Titchfield and Eaton Bray referred by her colleagues many years back in Singapore and few years back be informed now managed by JS M’sia. Also want to ask for refund since uncertainty in UK land development.
    Anyone in the same boat can discuss together how could we ask the refund from JS or take any legal action ?

    Reply
Leslie Lee says a couple of years ago

Hi Any one invested in Titchfield Fontley Farm? I just found an article dd 28th June 2017 that JSI solar farm project gains planning permission, and till today we do not have any idea whether the land was sold since planning permission alrdi approved in 2017, why we still not got any return?

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    mike says last year

    not heard from them since!

    Reply
Rajendrakumar says a couple of years ago

London is cheaper!

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Rajendrakumar says a couple of years ago

I see zero positive reviews from investors in this company and I see that Singapore has classes out as unregulated

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Tom tom says a couple of years ago

Hi Martin are you familiar with Jardin smith international? Recently Iooking for other investors.

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DEVI says a couple of years ago

What else to say,Sharmilla drive BMW,Sandra on BMW,Rajdeep BMW,Grace Chong on Mercedes,
All their salary at least 25k a month,
treat the staffs like shit.as long they hit their targets and they get their salary,they are fine.if not staffs will be terminated for not performing.
very good in brainwash.
So many clients now waiting for their promises,been 15 years already with their empty promise…people can die waiting…
whoever invest in Land,think before you invest,not one to five years,all that craps.
now they are focusing on Australia land and they call WAtson and carry the same concepts and style…caheck out their watch,cars,dress,pens,tie,tie pin and shoes….showing off..earning big salary..LUCKY I WAS WORKING THERE FOR A YEAR ONLY,KNOWING A LITTLE BIT but decided not to continue since they are not genuine.
full of scandals.

More story will share with you all…Coming soon…

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    Kumudha says 3 weeks ago

    Pls call me at 01111219728,
    Me too got fooled by them

    Reply
Mikess says 4 years ago

Did you invested in Water Orton land in Burminham

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    Leslie Lee says a couple of years ago

    Hi I got email respond back from HS2 that Water Orton Plank Lane (which was what we bought from JSI) notice was given to proceed last year and construction works have alrdi begun.
    Water Orton falls within phase 1 of the route.
    I am wondering if the construction works begun what happen to the price negoiation and when are we going to get our investment returns.
    Till today JSI kept saying that they are still negoiating with HS2 when work already started last year.

    Reply
Mgr says 4 years ago

Its a scamming company. These people are trained to force you invest but will dump you after your investments. We’ve invested in multiple properties but no news even after 12 years. They Didn’t even get the government approval for houses development in most of the properties. Some even the government making decision to have train tracks throughthe land. From mayors office it is confirmed that the land will not be permitted for housing. The company will not even update you on the status of your properties nor replies your messages.

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DECEIVED says 6 years ago

Over the Labour Day weekend holidays, I was invited by phone to ayttend JSI seminar on land bank investment on greenfield at Maslew Kettering.

The investment return in 5 years time is projected to be 300%. Too good to be true. I nearly committed some sale of lot in puny size of 100 sf ft. It will cost about 80,000 Myr per lot. However , I managed to found out that JSI bought it for Myr 7 per sf and now selling to believing investor at 1200 % return.

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    Din Hezan says 4 years ago

    You are right! If you read the agreement carefully, after 12th year owners upon agree collectively can agree on the price offered by developer even without planning permission. BUT who wants to pay at a profitable price for owners when they already jacked up the price 1000%!!!

    Reply
Rich says 6 years ago

Hello my friends,

I just happened across this Facebook page

https://www.facebook.com/groups/JardinSmithInternationalInvestor/

I think they are looking for support from other investors. I’m not sure if it worth while. Has anyone on here seen it or joined it. Mainly Malaysia I think.

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    scandalous says 6 years ago

    The below observation are from my many teh tarik sessions with other investors. The CEO of Jardin Smith International, Neilson Aloysious along with his management team consisting of Ada (Asia Plantation Capital Director) and Grace (Asia Plantation Capital) have branched out setting up a new company dealing with starch investment and the foreign workers housing projects. The company is called Genesis Corp. They work exactly the same way as JSI. Infact they have been calling my wife under the pretense that they are of the same management. Absolutely misleading. It is a major cause of concern when none of the companies above are setting the records straight. i have a feeling they are all operating in arms with each other. Please be very careful. Once bitten twice shy. Be aware of these professional scammers.

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      Rich says 6 years ago

      I am from Singapore but my sister lives in KL. We both invest in JSI many years ago and still see no sign of progress. Then came the trees. Now starch! My sis has also been contacted by this Genesis. They have nothing to do with JSI or APC. I think they are lying to keep client confidence(?). We are just ignoring them. Cannot do anything about past investments. But never give them any more money. Too much lost already to these scammers. So sad. I wonder how many other people in the same boat.

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        daniel says 5 years ago

        I have just booked 200 trees from Asia Plantation Capital ( based in KL Malaysia) Can you please share with me your experience with APC ? Thankyou very much

        Reply
harry says 7 years ago

This is a known scam in the UK. The Government of UK has already posted warning in the FCA website. Just google LAND BANKING SCAM. My Sister in Law bought a few lots. To her horror, she can’t sell it. And there is absolutely no way a piece of agricultural land would cost her SGD20 per sq ft. I could have found a similar piece of land at 1/20th of the price she paid for. Being an Englishman, i know she has been take for a ride. There is virtually no secondary market.she is now the proud but foolish owner of some tiny plots of land that has no potential whatever. Biggest oopsie of her her adult life. Well, we learn, don’t we.
STAY AWAY

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