Pink Floyd icon David Gilmour is unable to sell a £10 million mansion in Brighton, after it emerged that does not legally own it.
The 78-year-old guitar legend recently discovered that a legal oversight means the six-bedroom home he shares with his wife, Polly Samson, is technically owned by the Crown.
Gilmour has now filed a lawsuit against the government in an effort to bid to rectify the administrative error and gain ownership so he can proceed with the sale.
The musician initially purchased Medina House, a former women’s public baths overlooking the sea, in 2011.
The property spans 6,284 square feet and features a courtyard, covered garden, four bathrooms, four reception rooms across three floors, a wine store, a snug, a gym, and a library. One reception room, which includes a dining area, measures an impressive 49 feet.
The acquisition was made through Gilmore’s previous company, Hoveco Ltd, where he was the sole director.
When the company dissolved in 2014, an administrative error resulted in the property not being transferred into his name.
According to UK law, if a business dissolves without transferring its assets, those assets automatically become ‘bona vacantia’ (ownerless property) and are claimed by the Crown.
Gilmour, who has lived in the property with Samson, 62, for years, attributes the situation to an registration mistake and has taken his case to the High Court in London, suing the Attorney General.
He is seeking a court order to officially transfer ownership of the property to his name so that he can sell it.
Legal professionals note that cases like this are exceedingly rare.
Nick Brett, Partner at Brett Wilson LLP, told MailOnline: “Imagine thinking you own a house for over a decade, particularly one worth £10-15 million, but then when you want to sell it, you discover you can’t because in fact technically legal ownership may have passed to the State. It must have come as a huge shock when he found out. It’s an extraordinary situation that is also incredibly rare.”
