A couple’s dream of owning a mansion worth £1.5 million (Rs 16.65 crore) turned into a nightmare when they discovered that the previous owner had stripped it of its most valuable asset. Martin and Sarah Caton bought a house called Bochym Manor in Cornwall, but were shocked to see it in ruins when they first visited it. They wanted to convert the property into a wedding venue and a holiday destination.
“I was distraught. It looked like a war zone or like a tornado had ripped the place apart. He’d ripped out almost every door handle, ripped tiles off the walls, removed the locks,” Metro quoted Mr Caton as saying.
This stately property, full of history, had a Jacobean oak staircase and a walnut-paneled library. The 10-bedroom Gothic-revival villa had 13 vacation houses, as well as hidden tunnels and antique stained-glass windows.
It was missing doors, windows, fireplaces, floors and even plumbing and electricity. The stained glass windows and the library’s original panelling – made by the same craftsmen who worked on the Parliament building – had also been removed. Catons further revealed that the holiday home had been burnt to ashes and the stairs of the estate’s clock tower had been torn down.
“There was a lot of random and bizarre destruction. I don’t understand the mentality behind it – it’s shocking that you can actually be that cruel,” Mr Caton told the Metro.
The couple, who bought the property in 2014, had to spend an additional £1.5 million to restore the mansion and surrounding properties. They immediately reported the destruction to the police and Cornwall Council, sparking a nine-year legal battle.
Sellers are forbidden from removing fixtures and fittings without the consent of buyers, particularly when dealing with a listed property such as Bochym Manor. Despite these rules, the previous owner, Mark Payne, destroyed and removed many key elements of the historic property.
In 2015, Penn was arrested at his new home in Cumbria on suspicion of burglary, criminal damage and breaching the Planning Act, according to the Metro. Police recovered some items, but the case stalled after Cornwall Council withdrew the case citing concerns about the damage Dr Penn had caused. He was released without charge.
Catton provided evidence of what had been taken, using historic photographs of the property, and presented this again to the council. External legal advice confirmed there was sufficient evidence to pursue the case. However, the council declined to prosecute Penn, leaving Catton shocked and disappointed.
After nearly a decade of legal battles, the Catons finally won a small victory earlier this year when the removed items were returned.