Nicole plans to renovate the dilapidated building and turn it into a wedding venue
A company run by a castle-owning tycoon who splashed major cash on football and horseracing sponsorship is being wound up over an unpaid tax bill.
Flamboyant Nicole Rudder became a darling of the Scottish business world, winning industry awards and buying a Scottish castle to turn into a high class wedding venue.
And Rudder’s G4 Claims business name is emblazoned proudly on high flying Motherwell FC’s shirts.
Other sponsorships with Hibs and racing at Hamilton Park have pushed the outlay towards an estimated million pounds over three years.
But despite the gushy success story her G4 Claims Ltd firm is now being wound up over a big tax debt, after a petition was brought by HMRC.
We can reveal that the company has also been reported to the Financial Conduct Authority – which regulates insurance claim management companies. A whistleblower has claimed there could be issues that arise from Rudder simply moving operations from one regulated company to an unregulated one after the winding up order was granted.
The whistleblower said: “It was pretty eye catching that a business that has such a public and prestigious profile would allow itself to go under due to an unpaid bill to HMRC.
“G4 Claims is very visible on Motherwell’s shirts and Nicole Rudder has been a larger than life presence at Hamilton Park racecourse, where she’s been presenting prizes at lucrative races the business have sponsored.
“She’s been pumping big money into highly publicised sponsorship deals yet she is unable to pay what her firm owes the taxman.”
They added: “In the meantime her website has simply incorporated the name of a similar sounding company and it’s business as usual.”
The source highlighted the very public profile of Rudder, who has given interviews about her plans for Garrion Tower, near Wishaw, which is undergoing a massive renovation to become a £12million, five-star wedding hotel and restaurant.
On the G4 Claims website, Rudder’s company lays down key principles of its “visionary leader”. The blurb states: “At the helm of G4 Claims, Nicole embodies the essence of visionary leadership. By staying ahead of the curve and embracing innovation, Nicole ensures that G4 Claims remains at the forefront of the claims management sector.”
It adds: “With unwavering dedication, innovative thinking, and a passion for excellence, Nicole is poised to lead G4 Claims to even greater heights in the years to come.
“Nicole Rudder’s journey as the owner of G4 Claims is a testament to the transformative power of vision, leadership, and perseverance.”
The FCA website warns that G4 Claims Ltd is currently in an insolvency process and has applied via an appointed liquidator – to cancel its registration. The G4 Claims website’s landing page now refers to another company of which Rudder is a director – G4 Claims Holdings Ltd.
But that company does not appear on the FCA list of authorised and regulated firms.
Her LinkedIn profile still lists her as “company director” of G4 Claims Ltd.
The colourful businesswoman, who was voted Scotland Family Business Entrepreneur of the Year in 2024, became a big noise in 2022. She told how she had fallen in love with the derelict Garrion Tower castle and bought it for £250,000 – and not bothered to tell her husband.
Rudder was photographed at the tower in the Clyde Valley, near Lanark, a former summer home for the Bishops of Glasgow. The businesswoman is aiming to convert it into one of Scotland’s most popular wedding venues. It was hoped the project would be finished last year but it is still being built, to a luxury standard.
A recent planning application laid down a vision for 30 rooms and a spa, with the creation of 18 new jobs. A restaurant has also been planned.
The conversion included extensive repairs and renovation of the Category B listed building as well as the addition of two extensions to each side elevation of Garrion Tower and extensive landscaping works.
The insider has suggested Rudder’s loss of FCA-authorised status should be investigated, as her site openly refers to referrals she makes to solicitors for personal injury claims – for which she is paid a commission.
When contacted by the Daily Record, Rudder said she disagreed with the tax bill from HMRC and took them to court.
She said her former company had FCA authorisation and that she was “in process” for the replacement company to gain the same FCA recognition.
But she claimed this was in case she decided to expand into regulated activity in the future.
She said: “The company I trade from is currently in process for FCA but I don’t, never have and never will handle personal injury claims.
“Any clients who wish to pursue personal injury are passed to my solicitor partner in Glasgow who pays me a referral commission for the lead. My firm doesn’t handle the claims and I do not require to be FCA regulated. My process is subcontracted to other companies I’ve worked alongside with for years. That’s always how it’s worked.”
Rudder said she has been in legal dispute with HMRC since July last year and the G4 Claims Ltd company was shut down in December.
In June 2023, Motherwell FC announced the “biggest deal of its kind for the club”, with G4 Claims sponsoring the front of its shirts for the next three years. Last August Hamilton Park racecourse announced G4 Claims would sign up for another three years as title sponsor. The deal includes the The G4 Claims Scottish Stewards’ Cup – one of the richest prizes in Scotland, paying more than £35,000 prize money.
The FCA would not comment on G4 Claims Ltd but provided general guidelines on what business would require regulation.
Some small claims introducers may not need FCA authorisation – as long as referring claims is only a minor, incidental part of their main business and as long as various other conditions are met.
