maus
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$260 million estate has 21-year squatter
Published: April 5, 2008 at 3:53 PM
LONDON, April 5 (UPI) -- The owner of a London estate soon to be worth nearly $260 million can't evict a man who has inhabited the garden for 21 years, British media report.
Harry Hallowes' cost-free digs will soon undergo a massive overhaul, making it the most expensive home in the world, the Daily Mail reported Saturday.
"I didn't know it was going to be a palace," said Harry Hallowes, 71, who was given rights as a squatter last year, permitting him to stay in his tent on a 60-foot by 120-foot piece of land in the estate's garden. That parcel is now valued at nearly $8 million
The estate's owner is a mystery billionaire businessman from the Middle East, The Times Online reported.
The flashy new home will feature an elaborate driveway, a built-in pool, tennis courts and on-site staff housing.
Traditionalists reportedly argue the 1855 Athlone House should not be updated with modern luxuries, but instead maintain a more historic appearance, possibly complete with Hallowes in the garden.
Published: April 5, 2008 at 3:53 PM
LONDON, April 5 (UPI) -- The owner of a London estate soon to be worth nearly $260 million can't evict a man who has inhabited the garden for 21 years, British media report.
Harry Hallowes' cost-free digs will soon undergo a massive overhaul, making it the most expensive home in the world, the Daily Mail reported Saturday.
"I didn't know it was going to be a palace," said Harry Hallowes, 71, who was given rights as a squatter last year, permitting him to stay in his tent on a 60-foot by 120-foot piece of land in the estate's garden. That parcel is now valued at nearly $8 million
The estate's owner is a mystery billionaire businessman from the Middle East, The Times Online reported.
The flashy new home will feature an elaborate driveway, a built-in pool, tennis courts and on-site staff housing.
Traditionalists reportedly argue the 1855 Athlone House should not be updated with modern luxuries, but instead maintain a more historic appearance, possibly complete with Hallowes in the garden.
