Squatter handed deeds to £3.5m plot on the Heath

Now, the moral of the story is if you stay somewhere in England for a long enough period of time, they will give it to you for free!

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

It's not exactly Trump Towers – but Harry Hallowes is more than happy with his £3.5million abode.

The tramp, who has squatted in a prime piece of real estate on London's Hampstead Heath for almost two decades, has been handed the deeds to his plot of land.

The 70-year-old, who has lived in a 12ft by 8ft shack on the land since 1986, is overjoyed at being given the title deeds from the Land Registry.

His precious home in the grounds of Athlone House is now his to sell or pass on.

And, subject to planning permission, the 800 square metre plot could be worth £3.5million.
The landmark decision marks the end of a bitter three-year battle with Dwyer, the company behind the massive redevelopment of Athlone House.

Harry, who boasts Monty Python star and film director Terry Gilliam among his many friends in nearby Highgate in North London, said: 'I absolutely love it here.

'But I always expected to be given them – I didn't expect any other outcome. I have got my deeds locked up safe and sound.'

He added: 'I won't be having a bird sanctuary or anything like that.

'Maybe I'll build myself a house – everybody else around here seems to love building houses.'
The deeds are for a fenced area measuring 20m by 40m on the iconic heath, loved by walkers, cyclists and nature-lovers.

In March 2005, Dwyer failed in a bid to evict Mr Hallowes.

The company is turning Athlone House, a former nursing home, into luxury flats as part of a multi-millionpound scheme, and wanted Mr Hallowes out of the way.

But at a court hearing lawyers presented evidence that the popular pensioner had lived on the plot for 18 years.

This went unchallenged and became the basis for his 'proscriptive title' claim for the land.
Mr Hallowes' solicitor Maurice Evans said: 'At one stage the company which owned Athlone House needed vacant possession of the land.

'Mr Hallowes was successful in fighting that action and from that it automatically followed that he had a right to the land.'

©2007 Associated Metro Limited

http://www.metro.co.uk/news/article.html?in_article_id=50308&in_page_id=34