UK couple buys ₹16 crore mansion, finds it stripped of valuables former owner | Trending

Numerous individuals save money all their lives to purchase their dream homes. So, when Martin and Sarah Caton purchased their lavish and dreamy £1.5 million (approx. ₹16 crore) estate in Cornwall, they were nothing short of ecstatic. However, soon, the glory of their home came down when they discovered that the previous owner stripped it of its most valuable assets. The former owner of the house had taken out valuables before selling it. (Representational Image/@Unsplash) Bochym Manor, the house that the couple bought, came with a Jacobean oak staircase, a walnut-panelled library and a rich hory dating back to the Domesday Book. The gothic-revival house came with 10 bedrooms, secret passageways, and horic stained-glass windows, 13 beautiful holiday homes as part of the estate, reported The Metro. (Also Read: Thief leaves note for family after stealing cash, gold: ‘Someone sick in my house…’) However, once the couple entered their new house, they found that the former owner Dr Mark Payne had taken out doors, windows, fireplaces, floors, guttering and even the plumbing and electrics. Not only that, but the holiday homes were completely destroyed and the staircase from the estate’s clock tower was torn out. “I was draught. It was like a warzone or like a tornado had shredded the place. He took pretty much every door handle and tile off the wall; the locks were removed. There was some very random and bizarre destruction. I don’t understand the mentality behind it – it’s staggering that you can be that cruel, actually,” said Canton to The Metro. Before they were given the final key to the estate outside Helston, Mr. Caton, and his wife had concerns that something “wasn’t quite right” as Dr Payne had found excuses to keep them from seeing the mansion. They tried to follow their ambition of converting the estate into vacation cottages and a wedding venue, even though they had doubts about the purchase. The couple estimates that the damage to the residences they bought in 2014 has cost them an additional £1.5 million to fix. (Also Read: Indian-origin techie gives tour of his luxurious palatial home in Silicon Valley, internet calls it ‘dream house’) As per The Metro, as soon as they noticed the damage, they informed Cornwall Council and the police, starting a nine-year legal struggle. Without the buyers’ permission, sellers are not allowed to remove any fixtures and fittings that are affixed to the property. Permission from local authorities is also required when removing fittings from a led structure. Police searched Dr Payne’s new Cumbrian property and found a few small items, leading them to suspect him of theft, criminal damage, and Planning Act violations. Fearing that it would not be possible to establish Dr Payne’s culpability for the damage, the council dropped the case, and he was freed without being charged. In order to demonstrate what the property looked like when they decided to acquire it and to demonstrate what had been taken, the couple used old photos. They brought their case to the council once more, and this time, an outside attorney they hired informed them that they had “ample evidence” to bring charges. However, the council still refused to pursue Dr Payne. The removed things were finally restored to the Catons in March of this year following a nine-year legal battle. This was due to Dr Payne’s failure to provide evidence or show up for a hearing under the Police Property Act at Truro Magrates’ Court in order to establish who the rightful owner of the objects was.