Is this Britain's bitterest neighbour dispute? Father-of-five who was jailed ... trends now
A father-of-five who was jailed and handed a £475,000 court bill after a dispute with his neighbours has been ordered to sell his £420,000 home.
Mark Coates, 56, and wife Louise, 52, have been involved in a 'bitter, aggressive and violent' dispute with their neighbours Brian Greenwood, 69, and Janice Turner, 65, after moving in next door in the countryside near Hastings in 2015.
The row, which has now turned into a financial disaster for the Coates family, arose out of a disagreement over the position of a fence and ownership of a track beside their homes on a quiet road in Robertsbridge, a court heard.
Both claimed the other had set up 'surveillance cameras' to monitor the other, while Mr Coates, who is a full-time carer for his disabled son, was accused of swearing at his Mr Greenwood and Mrs Turner and throwing stones at their bedroom window.
Now Mr Coates, who spent seven weeks in jail for his behaviour, has been handed a bill for his neighbour's legal costs after a judge ruled in their favour and could be forced to sell his house in order to pay for it.
Mark Coates, 56, and wife Louise, 52, who have been engaged in a 'bitter, aggressive and violent' dispute with their neighbours after moving to the countryside near Hastings
Brian Greenwood (left), 69, and Janice Turner (right), 65, won a court case over the boundary dispute of a garden fence between their two properties earlier this month
The row broke out after a disagreement over the position of a fence (pictured) between their gardens and between the Coates' garden and an access track behind it
High Court judge, Master James Brightwell, said a forced sale of the property - thought to be worth about £420,000 - was the only way that the debt would be paid.
But Mr Coates told the judge that he doubted whether the house would sell for that amount, adding: 'I don't know who would want to live next to them anyway.'
The two sets of neighbours live side by side in semi-detached houses in Eatenden Lane, a quiet road next to woodland in Robertsbridge, near Hastings, in the East Sussex countryside.
But the rural peace was shattered when they began rowing over the boundary between their gardens and between the Coates' garden and an access track bought by their neighbours behind it.
Mrs Turner objected to the taking down of a fence and erection of a brick wall, which she claimed encroached on her property.
But what was a row over a small strip of land descended into chaos, with allegations made on both sides of various forms of unneighbourly behaviour.
In October 2020, during an early hearing in the dispute, the couples were warned by High Court judge, Mr Justice Morgan, that persisting in the row could result in financial ruin for one or both sets of neighbours.
Describing it as a 'very bitter, aggressive violent dispute,' he said: 'Boundary disputes are unfortunate because they spring from bad feeling between neighbours.
'Worse still, these proceedings are not cheap if lawyers are involved. It is not unknown for cases of this kind to result in the bankruptcy of one or both sides. That is why boundary dispute litigation is often said to be very very unfortunate.'
But despite the warning, the case continued and
