‘YOU STOLE MY FRONT GARDEN!’
Artist and inventor at war over £1m flat’s patio
AN ARTIST has accused his downstairs neighbour of a land grab by digging out a sunken patio on half of his garden while he was living abroad.
William Savage, 45, claims that Richard Bankart, 59, excavated part of the front garden when he was based in Paris and Dublin.
The neighbours have been fighting over the area outside their £1million flats in Stockwell, south London, since 2003. Central London County Court heard that technology company chief Mr Bankart owns the basement flat and the property’s freehold.
Mr Savage owns a flat covering the ground and first floor, including the front garden. Judge Nicholas Parfitt was told the pair’s ‘ relationship has gone from bad to worse’ since millionaire Mr Bankart constructed the sunken patio.
Former banker Mr Savage has asked the judge to grant an injunction to prevent Mr Bankart using the garden or pay up to £60,000 compensation.
He said he is bringing the legal action due to Mr Bankart’s ‘continued trespass’. Lawyer Lina Mattsson, representing Mr Savage, said the patio had increased the value of Mr Bankart’s property by nearly £50,000 and brightened up his formerly ‘dark and dingy’ basement living room.
But Mr Bankart said his flat’s ‘lightwell’ – the area of the property allowing access to more light through the creation of the patio – is a ‘common part’ of the building. He insisted he had an ‘enforceable agreement’ with the previous owner of Mr Savage’s flat to extend it.
Michael Walsh, representing Mr Bankart, told the court: ‘He has not acted wrongly as Mr Savage has been consulted on, and consented to, all of the works to the property.’
The row began in 2003, two years after Mr Savage moved into the Victorian house.
Miss Mattsson said Mr Bankart created the ‘sunken terrace’ while Mr Savage was living in Paris and studying in Dublin. The court heard Mr Bankart also sent Mr Savage a bill for £3,533 for the works, which he refused to pay. The money was successfully claimed from his mortgage provider.
In 2018 Mr Savage was informed by another neighbour that his garden was being ‘dug out’, and then wrote to Mr Bankart to demand the area was restored to how it had been.
Miss Mattsson told the court: ‘Mr objections Bankart and ignored continued all of his to trespass upon Mr Savage’s garden.’ She labelled Mr Bankart’s actions ‘high-handed and insolent’, adding: ‘Mr Bankart has for a long time got away with his land grab.’ But Mr Walsh said Mr Savage clearly accepted works would be carried out to the garden and lightwell when he negotiated the purchase of his flat in 2001. The judge will give his ruling in the case at a later date.
‘High-handed and insolent’