Council bullies removed my £15k beach hut in parking row – now they want ME to pay for it but I won’t back down
A RETIRED teacher whose £15,000 beach hut was taken away by the council has been told SHE must pay for its removal. Michele Spicer has been fighting to get her seaside hut back after Worthing Borough Council moved it from its spot in Goring-by-Sea, West Sussex, last year. The hut was taken to Adur and […]
A RETIRED teacher whose £15,000 beach hut was taken away by the council has been told SHE must pay for its removal.
Michele Spicer has been fighting to get her seaside hut back after Worthing Borough Council moved it from its spot in Goring-by-Sea, West Sussex, last year.
The hut was taken to Adur and Worthing council offices without Michele’s knowledge after nearby residents accused her of anti-social behaviour.
But despite insisting she did nothing wrong, Michele claims she has been slapped with a bill of over £500 to fit the costs of the removal.
She told The Sun Online: “I am not paying the fee, absolutely not.
“They illegally moved the beach hut and they are now charging me £512 to move it.
“They said ‘you will never be allowed to have a beach hut there again because the land is owned by the council’. I’m laughing at the charge. I’ve ignored it.
“There’s no way they can charge me.”
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Michele had her beach hut licence revoked after angry locals complained she was parking in a private car park to access her hut.
She previously told The Sun Online how they left furiously scrawled notes on her car and even dog poo inside in a bid to get her to move.
A letter sent to her from the council said her behaviour included “swearing”, “playing music excessively loud with the roof down” and continually pressing her horn.
But Michele vehemently denies the accusations and says she will fight council bosses “all the way” to get her beach hut back.
She explained: “I’ve sent them a bill for a new beach hut – like for like £5,000.
“They also owe me £36,000 which is the current value of my beach hut.
They illegally moved the beach hut and they are now charging me £512 to move it.
Michele Spicer
“The next thing I’m going to do is find a solicitor. I know I’m going to win.”
The council has told Michele she can move the hut to land that she owns, although this would be subject to planning approval.
She is not, however, allowed to move it back to its original spot on the beach, where she would like it.
Michele added: “It’s ruined me financially, it’s impacted my mental health and I’ve been close to a breakdown.
“They think I’m going to crumble but I won’t. I’ll see this through to the end. I’ll get justice for vulnerable people.”
A spokesperson for Worthing Borough Council said: “We are sorry it has come to this but for the first time in about 25 years we have had to take eviction action at one of our beach huts.
“The number of complaints received from local residents really left us with no choice but to conclude that Mrs Spicer has breached the terms of her lease.’”
