A house in Italy owned by British expats has been seized by the authorities there because it was built illegally on agricultural land.
Moreover, the couple has been charged with owning an illegal property, an offence which incurs a sentence of two years in jail or a €50,000 fine.
The £250,000 holiday home on the Ligurian Riviera was purchased by Brendan and Jane Crossan in 2006.
But two years later, they received an email from the previous owners, advising them to get a lawyer immediately.
The house is one of 81 properties in the area which had been built on land designated for agricultural use. The council had granted permission for all the houses, but this was subsequently rescinded by the regional government.
But after a five-year legal battle, the police took possession of the house and issued the couple with a sixty-day notice to leave.
The Crossans now have to sell their home in the UK as well because they will not be able to pay off their mortgage, after receiving an additional mortgage of nearly £20,000 to cover legal fees.
An appeal to the high court can be lodged within ten days, but if that fails the house could be demolished.
Four notaries who signed the original documents have been put under investigation, but neither the mayor not the council committee which authorised the development are facing any charges because the statute of limitations has run out.
Mrs Crossan said: ‘It’s all so terribly unfair. We weren’t the people who built the house- we bought it in good faith.
‘When I watch things like this on television you think “How could they let this happen? Why didn’t they do things properly?” But we did everything properly.’
Other expats are facing similar situations with their properties, but the Crossans appear to be the only ones from the UK.
