Trapped by land bank? Let's help each other

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We were caught in a land-banking scheme and parted (very foolishly) with £42,000 for two plots of land - each 2,000 sq ft - in leafy areas surrounding the M25 in Surrey, and Buckinghamshire in 2006, as a result of a persuasive sales pitch by a salesperson for English Land Partnership and the London Land and Property Exchange Group. Never again! I am currently pursuing ways in which we can at least secure some of the money back. If you are contacted by other people who have been caught in the same scheme, could you put us in contact? We would be in a stronger position to help each other if there were a critical mass of us.

I am furious with the people who did this to us and my wife is absolutely mortified. Please help if you can.
Anonymous, by email

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You should definitely make your kids work for their money (Should you hand over pocket money to children on a reward basis?, Cash, last week). It makes them appreciate the process of earning money and, hopefully, will instil in them a good work ethic. It is important for children to realise that some work has to be done regardless of whether or not you get paid for it.

Regarding pocket money: both sides are right. I'm paying [my children] to do jobs I don't want to do and that I think they should do, to get an idea of how long tidying a room takes and how endless housework is. If they don't do it, then it's an extra week before they can afford whatever they wanted. There is also the random treat money, however - they haven't earned it but it makes me feel generous and good giving it to them.

Where do I draw the line? Paying for exam results? Not sure why, but I don't go there.

No, you should treat kids an important lifetime lesson: that financial rewards are barely related to the quantity of useful work you do.

Harriet Meyer wrote an informative article on car hire (Keeping a cool head as cutbacks turn up the heat on holiday car hire, Cash, last week). I am always puzzled as to why car-hire firms should charge for an extra driver. Surely it is safer to have two drivers who can share the driving rather than have a single driver who might be tiring but has to carry on driving? Having two drivers should result in a reduction in charges, not an increase.
Eric Gendle, Middlesbrough, Teesside

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