Donald Trump was sued by buyers who lost millions of dollars in deposits on a failed hotel-condo in the Mexican border city of Tijuana.
The 69 buyers purchased 71 units in Trump Ocean Resort Baja and paid deposits totalling between US$18 million (Dh66.11m) and $20m, said Bart Ring, their lawyer.
Buyers were told last month that the luxury oceanfront project was being scrapped and that there was no money left to refund deposits.
In December, they were told the project had only $556,000 left after collecting $32.2 million in buyer deposits.
The 197-page complaint filed Friday in Los Angeles Superior Court seeks unspecified damages against Trump, his children Ivanka and Donald Jr and others including the Los Angeles developer Irongate Capital Partners.
The lawsuit accuses the New York real estate developer and reality television star of fraud, negligence, unjust enrichment and violating federal disclosure laws.
Representatives of the Trump Organization and Irongate did not immediately respond to requests for comment late Friday.
In December, a Mexican developer, PB Impulsores, told buyers that Trump licensed his name and was not an investor. The lawsuit says PB Impulsores is a «mere shell entity» for Irongate, created to avoid legal liabilities.
The project was marketed as a partnership between Trump and Irongate - the same team behind Trump International Hotel & Tower Waikiki in Honolulu. In a statement last week, the Trump Organization said that Trump ended a licensing agreement because the developer violated terms, missing deadlines to obtain financing and begin construction.
The lawsuit disputes that Trump had a peripheral role. It quotes one brochure that read, «Mr Trump is personally involved in everything his name represents.»
The lawsuit alleges buyers didn't learn Trump had only licensed his name until late December.
Trump Baja demanded about 30 per cent down for units that sold from less than $300,000 to $3 million. The lawsuit lists plaintiffs who paid deposits between $53,835 and $470,725. Many put up more than $150,000. Trump Baja went on sale when Southern California home prices were near their peak. All that remains of the project is a closed sales centre and showroom, a paved car park and a big hole that cuts a wide swath across the property.
* AP
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What is Folia?
Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal's new plant-based menu will launch at Four Seasons hotels in Dubai this November. A desire to cater to people looking for clean, healthy meals beyond green salad is what inspired Prince Khaled and American celebrity chef Matthew Kenney to create Folia. The word means "from the leaves" in Latin, and the exclusive menu offers fine plant-based cuisine across Four Seasons properties in Los Angeles, Bahrain and, soon, Dubai.
Kenney specialises in vegan cuisine and is the founder of Plant Food Wine and 20 other restaurants worldwide. "I’ve always appreciated Matthew’s work," says the Saudi royal. "He has a singular culinary talent and his approach to plant-based dining is prescient and unrivalled. I was a fan of his long before we established our professional relationship."
Folia first launched at The Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills in July 2018. It is available at the poolside Cabana Restaurant and for in-room dining across the property, as well as in its private event space. The food is vibrant and colourful, full of fresh dishes such as the hearts of palm ceviche with California fruit, vegetables and edible flowers; green hearb tacos filled with roasted squash and king oyster barbacoa; and a savoury coconut cream pie with macadamia crust.
In March 2019, the Folia menu reached Gulf shores, as it was introduced at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, where it is served at the Bay View Lounge. Next, on Tuesday, November 1 – also known as World Vegan Day – it will come to the UAE, to the Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach and the Four Seasons DIFC, both properties Prince Khaled has spent "considerable time at and love".
There are also plans to take Folia to several more locations throughout the Middle East and Europe.
While health-conscious diners will be attracted to the concept, Prince Khaled is careful to stress Folia is "not meant for a specific subset of customers. It is meant for everyone who wants a culinary experience without the negative impact that eating out so often comes with."
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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Confirmed%20bouts%20(more%20to%20be%20added)
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What is a robo-adviser?
Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.
These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.
Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.
Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.
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Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
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Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
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