On August 20, Mike Hall was alerted by his neighbors in the English city of Luton. Hall had left for work in North Wales, but the house was still lit, neighbors said.
Then he got in the car and drove home to Luton, which is 50 miles north of London.
Here he experienced what he faced BBC describes as a shock: Someone had taken over his house.
Removed all furniture
– When I tried to lock myself in the house, the key did not work, Hall says BBC Radio 4s «You and yours».
Instead, he was greeted by a man who opened the door for him.
– I pushed him aside, and went into the house. I had no idea what was going on.
Inside the house came another surprise.
Wanted to win the lottery – killed two sisters
– I was shocked when I saw that all my things were gone. All furniture, carpets, curtains – everything was gone.
The man who had opened the door told Hall that he was renovating the house. The desperate homeowner then called the police. Then the new landlord’s father arrived.
– This is now my property. You must leave here, the father must have said.
The man claimed that they had bought the house in July.
Changed owner
After checking the map, Hall was confirmed that the stranger was right. On August 4, the name of the house permit was changed. It no longer belonged to Mike Hall, but the stranger man.
Hall called the police again. Here he was told that this was not a case of fraud. It was a civil case, and he had to contact his lawyer to sort out the problems.
– I was in shock. I was already in shock when I saw the house, but when the police did not think that anything criminal had happened here, I did not believe what I heard.
