Arrr! A landlubber who claimed victory o'er a deceased maiden's abode now pockets a mighty treasure by sellin' it!
2023-12-09
Arrr! 'Tis told that a fine British bloke hath commandeered a retiree's abode, and with the law's blessing, hath gained rightful possession. Now, by Davy Jones' locker, he hath scuttled the ship, and plundered the profits! Yarr, the local scuttlebutt doth confirm this tale!
A man in the U.K., who took over a retiree's empty home in London and gained legal ownership of it under a "quirky" ancient Roman law, has sold the property for a profit. British construction worker Keith Best came across the empty three-bedroom home in 1997 while working nearby. He began renovating it and moved his family in seven years ago. The house, however, belonged to retiree Colin Curtis, who lived there until the late 1990s. Best became the legal owner of the property under a law that allows someone in possession of a good without title to become the lawful owner if the original owner doesn't show up after some time. Best had filed an application for adverse possession a decade ago to obtain the property legally. Initially denied, the ruling was overturned in 2014, and Best was granted ownership of the home. Curtis, who died in 2018, filed a counter-claim against the ruling but it was dismissed because he was not listed as the executor of his mother's estate. Best sold the property for a profit of roughly £140,000. The new owner, Atiq Hayat, was unaware of the home's legal history but stated that everything was done properly in the sale.