Developer sold residential boats without planning permission

DEVELOPER sold two residential luxury houseboats that had no residential planning permission.

Myck Djurberg (pictured) sold the residential houseboats at moorings near Hampton Court on the Thames though the mooring had no planning permission for residential use.

Mooring licences for 125 years

He sold the two custom built boats including mooring fees for £1.2 million and £850,000 respectively, claiming he had mooring licences for up to 125 years.

However, after moving into the boats the owners were informed by the local council that the sites did not have permission for residential properties and they were not allowed to live on their house boats. Neither was there a public right of way to the moorings.

Pay back nearly £2 millions

The matter went to court and Myck Djurberg was ordered by the High Court to pay back £1.8 miilions for two houseboats to the buyers he misled, because of misrepresentation and breach of contract.

The buyers can now claim for further damages to be paid following the judgement.

The court found that Djurberg led his clients to believe extended mooring licences were included in the price of two custom-built luxury houseboats, but the court discovered there was no public right by which they could lawfully moor their houseboats for permanent or residential use on the site.

Asked for £250 a day mooring fees

After sales were completed on the two properties, to add insult to injury Djurberg began asking for mooring fees of up to £250 a day, though he had claimed they were included.

Jennifer Small, who paid £1.25m for a three story houseboat told the court: "It felt like all of a sudden the world had turned upside down. We sank into a pit of despair."

Fiona Johnstone was only able to live on board her £850,000 houseboat for five weeks before a council official told them they had no mooring rights to live at their current location.

She told buying the houseboat had been 'absolutely traumatic' and had 'affected our health'.

Too large to navigate Thames locks

Both boats are too large to navigate the locks of the Thames, and could cost many thousands to moor.

Handing down the judgement, Murray Rosen QC described Djurberg as an "unusual man, with a complex relationship with the truth."

During the court case, Djuberg, who had changed his name to Salavador Priost, maintained he had done nothing wrong and claimed there were 'historic rights' to live at the marina. The judge dismissed that claim.