A 43-year-old Indian-origin teacher has sold her £250,000 worth home in Derbyshire for a token of mere £2 to ensure that she cannot be evicted from the property.
Rekha Patel has been locked in a feud with her neighbour over some building work dating back six years on the home. She spent £200,000 buying the dilapidated two-bedroom cottage in 2010 in Simmondley village in Glossop (Derbyshire) and turning it into her dream home.
A court order had directed that the home be sold to recover legal fees and costs of around £76,000.
Speaking to Asian Voice she said, “I bought a derelict listed building in an idyllic part of Glossop which is in Derbyshire and expected it to be my dream home. However it turned out to be my worst nightmare. During the renovations my builder removed the old roof of my cottage to replace it with a new one, however at this point my neighbour accused me of cutting off architectural stones that supposedly protruded from the Gable wall that we shared.
“Historical photographs from the National Trust as well as the estate agents that I bought my house from will verify that these architectural stones never ever existed...”
Patel, who is a Mathematics teacher said, according to her professional duty, she must not surrender but fight for her principle. A devout believer in Lord Krishna, she is confident her God is with her in this battle.
Born in the UK, Patel has her roots in Avda Falia village in Navsari district of Gujarat. Her parents Jerambhai-Nanabhai Patel and Niruben-Jerambhai Patel live in India, while her 2 brothers live in the UK.