A British millionaire couple are reportedly refusing to pay their craftsmen GBP 664,000 for renovating their castle.
Steinegg Castle in Thurgau, in Switzerland, is being renovated for CHF 12 million (GBP 10.62 million).
The British owners, who are from the financial sector, are leaving the tradesmen hanging and stuck with their bills and they also owe the canton authorities taxes, according to local media reports.
The castle, which has been undergoing extensive renovations for years was bought by the couple, named as Yvonne Thom, 48, and James Rennie, 50, in 2006 for CHF 4.8 million (GBP 4.25 million).
The pair, who reportedly wanted to make the property their primary home, currently live in Singapore.
They are said to have invested CHF 12 million in their 13th-century castle, which was rebuilt in the neoclassical style in 1886.
But of late, tradesmen have been stuck with their bills and have not been paid, according to a local newspaper, the Thurgauer Zeitung.
The couple reportedly owe Christian Hagen CHF 750,000 (GBP 664,000).
He is the managing director of the construction company of the same name with 25 employees, which specialises in the renovation of historical and listed buildings.
He said: “We’ve been working up there for 10 years.”
Thom worked for Credit Suisse from 2001 to 2008 and then for Morgan Stanley and HSBC, while Rennie also works in the financial sector, according to reports.
They are said to be planning on living at the luxury castle with their children, who reportedly attend a private school in the area.
And the two Brits do not want to just park their cars in front of the castle, they hired Hagen to build an underground car park, especially for this purpose.
That is why they owe the building contractor Hagen the huge sum of money.
He told local media: “We’ve been waiting for the money for a year and a half now and we have to manage without it.”
He added: “That’s a big sum for us.”
Hagen said that as a result, he has had to put planned investments in his company on hold.
He last heard from the couple in September, he said.
They used to show up at the construction site regularly but suddenly he can no longer reach them.
At least the debts are recorded in the land register. This increases the chances that Hagen will get his money one day, local media said.
Hagen said: “We just have to be patient. But the situation is difficult.”
The two Britons also owe CHF 1,400 (GBP 1,240) in property taxes to the canton of Thurgau, which issued them with a reminder fee of CHF 50 (GBP 44.26) and a collection fee of CHF 80 (GBP 71).
To find out more about the author, editor or agency that supplied this story – please click below.
Story By: Joseph Golder, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Newsflash
The Ananova page is created by and dedicated to professional, independent freelance journalists. It is a place for us to showcase our work. When our news is sold to our media partners, we will include the link here.
