Among the reports that caught the eye in the Daily Express of September 10th was this: “Pensioner to lose home in dispute with neighbour,” (pp:20-21).
According to it, “a woman will have to sell her home to pay a £113,000 legal bill after she lost a five-year boundary dispute over a strip of land just 1 ft wide.” Pensioner Jenny Field’s “feud with next-door neighbour Pauline Clark over who owned the patch between their bungalows began in 2020.”
At that time, the now 76-year old grandmother, Field, ”lost the case over the placement of a new fence, when the legal bill was under £14,000.” But guess what? “Ms Field repeatedly challenged the ruling,” till the legal fees have now jumped to £113,266.
Here’s the thing. “She must raise the funds and pay her debt within three months or her £420,000 detached bungalow will be sold to recoup the money.” The newspaper reported further that: “Ms Field failed to attend a hearing at Bournemouth County Court.” Of course, the “matter was heard in her absence.”
Anna Curtis, for Clark, “told the court Ms Field had no intention of paying the sum and stressed that an order for sale was a last resort.” During the case, the court “heard that divorcee, Ms Field, who lives in Dorset, bought her house in 2016. “When 64-year old Mrs Clark “replaced the wooden fence between them in June 2020, “ Field claimed it had moved “ just “1 ft in Mrs Clark’s favour.”
Madam Field then “hired her own contractors two months later to tear down the 6ft-high fence and reclaim her land.” Clark started legal proceedings for “damage, theft and trespassing in February 2021,” which culminated with a judge making “a final ruling in December 2022.” Field was at the time ordered to pay only £11,800 to Clark. But madam didn’t back off.
Since then, “there have been multiple court cases with Ms Field trying to overturn the decision.” In fact, District Judge Ross Fentem disclosed that Field” had sent the court hundreds, if not thousands of pages of documents in recent months.” Little wonder it resulted in “a civil restraint order against her”
Thankfully for Field, her property has appreciated in value. She said: “l have estate agents coming round to put my home on the market for £600,000 so that l have the money to pay the court.”
Obviously, it’s game over for the defiant grandmother. She has now smelt the roses and thus admitted: “l am selling it because l have to.” But then, “l will offer to pay her £1 per week.”
Folks, some battles are just not worth fighting, especially if aside being for as little as a tiny patch of land, it’s going to hit you deeply in the pocket. Having to pay over £100,000, just for one foot of land isn’t by any stretch of the imagination money intelligence. So, before dragging anyone before a court of law, think of the implication to your bank balance.
Grateful for my tiny return
Among the emails that landed in my inbox last month was the one sent on the 29th by Meristem Registrars, titled E-dividend notification: Sovereign Insurance PLC Dividend 14.
They said: “We are to include below a copy of your e- dividend counter foil in respect of the recently declared Sovereign Trust Insurance PLC final dividend 14.
Though it was only for N150 for owning a little over 3000 shares, one is still grateful for it. Long live, Sovereign Insurance.
