King Of No Mans Land Scuppers Sale.
Mar 6th, 2008 | By Island Pulse | Isle of Wight News From The Island Pulse
A property developer has barricaded himself on No Mans Land a Victorian sea fortress off the Isle of Wight.
Mr Harmesh Pooni has become a virtual squatter on the 138 yr old fort in a legal row over ownership. Mr Pooni is thought to have the only set of keys and is scuppering bids of up to £4m along with attempts by estate agents to sell it.
The Daily Mail reports: He has posted notices on all the windows formerly gun turrets warning he still owns No Man’s Land Fort and trespassers may be prosecuted.
Last July Island Pulse reported: The No Mans Land Fort is just one of the assets being sold off by administrators at KPMG to recoup up to £100m following the collapse of Lexi after an alleged commercial property fraud.
Shaid Luqman, the former young entrepreneur of the year who ran Lexi, was jailed last year.
Rachel Halliday, spokeswoman for administrators KPMG, said last July:
“We are letting people express an interest in the property before we invite offers for it, but it’s expected to fetch up to £4 million.
“This property is certainly a one-off and we have never had to sell anything this unusual before.”
The exclusive location as well as having fabulous sea views is also well known to passengers on the Isle of Wight ferry as it featured as a backdrop to a 1971 Dr Who adventure called The Sea Devils starring Jon Pertwee.
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It is one of the most unusual properties in the United Kingdom, but the chances of selling No Man\’s Land Fort, a £4 million Victorian sea fortress, are currently being scuppered thanks to a businessman who has barricaded himself inside.
Harmesh Pooni has become a virtual squatter on the 138-year-old fort, which sits in the Solent between Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight, in a legal row over its ownership.
The 42-year-old, who has the only set of keys, is scuppering bids by estate agents to sell it. He has blocked the fort\’s two helipads by strapping down overturned tables and benches, thereby preventing estate agents flying in potential buyers.
Mr Pooni has also posted notices on all the windows of the fort which state that he is still the rightful owner.
They read: \”Possession of this property has been retaken by the rightful legal owner and they are now residing on the premises.\”
A Grade II listed building, the fort was built in the 1860\’s to prevent the French from attacking the Portsmouth dockyard.
Mr Pooni says he bought the property in 2004 for £5million in order to rent out the luxury converted rooms for £25,000 to corporate clients. It boasted a swimming pool, Jacuzzi, sauna, gym, restaurant and a glass-roofed atrium.
He also won planning permission to build a £2million marina so yachts could stop by for lunch and dinner.
But the business got into choppy waters when health officials shut down the venue after finding the bacteria responsible for legionnaire\’s disease.
Mr Pooni\’s backers, Lexi Holdings, went bankrupt owing £100million and the administrators, KPMG, claimed they owned the fort and put it on the market.
Mr Pooni said: \”The fort is mine and no one else has the right to sell it.
\”Even if they got an order to evict me, I shall carry on fighting in the courts.
\”No one is going to want to buy it with the thought that it might not be legally theirs hanging over them.
\”I have been staying at the fort in order to protect it and ensure no one boards and changes the locks. You could say I am the king of this castle.\”
KPMG has now taken Mr Pooni to court, seeking an eviction order. A judge has so far refused to grant it and the matter is now going to the High Court in London.
A spokesman for KPMG said: \”We are currently undertaking legal proceedings to address the situation. We are unable to comment further.\”