A pensioner forcibly removed from her home following a bitter five-year boundary dispute with her neighbour has expressed outrage after the property was listed for sale at a reduced price of £325,000. Jenny Field, 77, lost her three-bedroom detached bungalow in a quiet cul-de-sac in Hamworthy, Poole, Dorset, after failing to settle a £113,000 legal bill owed to neighbour Pauline Clark.
Court Order Leads to Repossession and Sale
A county court judge issued a repossession order granting Mrs Clark, 65, the authority to sell Ms Field's home. Once the sale concludes, Mrs Clark will receive the amount she is owed, with any remainder going to Ms Field. Mrs Clark's solicitor had previously asserted there was sufficient equity in the property to allow Ms Field to purchase a comfortable retirement home.
Dispute Over Property Valuation
However, the evicted pensioner contends she expected the bungalow to be marketed for significantly more than £325,000 and worries insufficient funds will remain for her after the sale. "Is that all? That is disgusting," Ms Field remarked about the asking price. "I was given the price of £375,000 to £400,000 by an estate agent. This won't leave me with enough money to buy a property. She is obviously doing it for a quick sale."
Ms Field plans to write to the judge requesting intervention to ensure the property is advertised at market value. In response, Mrs Clark told the Daily Mail she obtained valuations from three different estate agents, and the sale figure aligns with those assessments. "I'm just following the court order and that's it," Mrs Clark stated. "I have had three valuations that came in around £325,000. I'm selling the house for what it's worth."
Origins of the Five-Year Boundary Conflict
The row between Ms Field and Mrs Clark, a widow, centred on the placement of a party fence erected by Mrs Clark in 2020. Ms Field alleged her neighbour moved the fence 12 inches onto her land during installation. Two months later, Ms Field hired contractors to dismantle and reposition the 6-foot fence to reclaim what she believed was her property.
The matter escalated to court, where Ms Field lost the case. Initially, her legal bill was approximately £13,000, but it ballooned to a six-figure sum after she repeatedly challenged the ruling unsuccessfully. In December, Ms Field made a final attempt to overturn the decision by alleging fraud in Mrs Clark's case, but a judge dismissed the claim as "totally without merit."
Eviction and Aftermath
On January 26, bailiffs arrived at the typically peaceful Dean Close to evict Ms Field. She was given until mid-February to remove her belongings or risk them being discarded. After becoming homeless, Ms Field initially stayed in a nearby hostel and now resides in a friend's flat, with her possessions in storage.
Mrs Clark commented on the situation, saying, "It was never going to be an easy sale because of the dispute, which she (Ms Field) is responsible for." The bungalow is being sold by local estate agents Palmer Snell, advertised with no forward chain and a guide price of £325,000. Photos on Rightmove depict an empty property with laminate flooring and window blinds still in place.
Property Details and Future Plans
The estate agents describe the bungalow as featuring an entrance hall, spacious living room, kitchen, shower room, and three bedrooms—two with fitted wardrobes. Additional benefits include a driveway, private low-maintenance rear garden, garage, uPVC double glazing, and gas central heating.
Ms Field has indicated her intention to leave the area, describing it as "toxic." She reflected, "I should have taken the chance to move out ages ago but I stayed in the area and modernised my property. I made it really nice. I want to move right out of the area completely. My children have told me to get out of the area as it's toxic." Palmer Snell declined to comment on the matter.
