We were contacted by a couple who had been told that the council had broken into their dream villa in Altinkum, Turkey, and were demolishing the 2nd floor. According to the council, the builders had built it 40cm higher than the plans. With no option other than to try to find the money to rebuild it, Jean and John wanted to warn others of the perils of buying a holiday home abroad.
ROOFLESS
Couple's Turkish holiday home has top ripped off because it's 40cm 'too high'
A shocked British couple had the roof torn off their seaside hideaway in Turkey - because the villa was just 40cm too tall.
John and Jean Reece used their life savings to buy the four-bed house from a local builder five years ago for £78,000. Since then they've enjoyed a string of sunshine breaks in the resort of Altinkum and even planned to retire there. But last month a panicking neighbour rang them to say a demolition crew were wreaking havoc.
And by the time John, 45, and Jean arrived from their home in Wigan, Lancs, the roof had been ripped off and the second floor was in ruins.
The work had been ordered by the local council because the house had been built 15 inhes higher than the agreed plans.
Mum-of-four Jean, 49, said: 'I was so angry the council had knocked down part of our beautiful home without waring us.
'They told us they sent a letter to the builder in 2005 informing him of the planning breach. But when we bought the house, we had legal documents stating that the property was clear for habitation. All the money we had went into buying the house - but now we are having to find £25,000 to rebuild it according to the right plans.'
The couple, who run a conservatory and extension firm, took photos of the villa being torn down.
The roof is gone, walls are wrecked, the bathroom's a pile of rubble and the boiler's been dumped on the balcony.
Jean - who has nine grandkids - said: 'We'd seen all those programmes about nightmare builders abroad, so we made sure to take all the right steps. A Turkish friend recommended an estate agent, we had an English interpreter when seeing the solicitor and we checked we had the correct documentation. It seemed quite easy and I remember thinking we were very lucky.
'The agent couldn't do enough - but now they don't want anything to do with us and told us to speak to the builder. The council say they warned the builder the house exceeded the plans. But because he registered the house in his wife's name and she has no money, we can't sue them or get them to cover the cost of the rebuild.'
Jean added: 'We've barely kept our business afloat during the recession but we have to find the money to get the villa rebuilt even though we're spending more on it than it will ever be worth. It's been a nightmare.'
The council defended the demolition and blamed the builder.
But Jean said: 'This has soured our view of Turkey for ever.'