Al Fayed-owned Mayfair penthouse has ‘leaky roofs and noisy lifts’, BBC reveals

BBCThe proprietor of a multi-million pound penthouse on Park Lane, central London, has been in an eight-year authorized battle with corporations owned by the late Mohamed Al Fayed and his household, the BBC has discovered.The dispute started as a wrangle over a authorized settlement referring to the set up of a brand new raise greater than 20 years in the past.Since then, it has escalated right into a row alleging leaky roofs, botched refurbishments and claims {that a} noisy raise was “maliciously” run at evening to disturb the penthouse proprietor’s sleep.Legal professionals for each events declined to remark.The row on the unique Mayfair deal with – documented in Excessive Courtroom filings – shines a lightweight on the best way some enterprise dealings had been carried out in Mohamed Al Fayed’s empire within the years earlier than he died.All through his life, he was identified for his combative strategy, ceaselessly resorting to authorized motion to resolve disagreements.The luxurious penthouse on the centre of this dispute is owned by Alan and Rosaleen Hodson. He’s a property developer whose firm has constructed hundreds of properties in south-east England.It’s on the highest ground of 55 Park Lane, often known as “Hyde Park Residence”, a big house constructing in a primary spot – proper subsequent to the unique Dorchester Resort. The constructing’s web site guarantees “an environment of heat and calm with one of the best of London residing”. A four-bedroom house is presently on sale for £8.5m.In 2003, the Mail on Sunday described the deal with as having “sensational” views throughout Hyde Park and a “marble entrance lobby [that] must be seen to be believed”.Nevertheless, strolling previous the constructing offers a special impression. Some would possibly take into account it just a little shabby for such a premium location, with peeling paint and a lacking signal above the door.Hyde Park Residence has been owned by the Fayed household for the reason that Nineteen Eighties, via Status Properties (PP), an organization primarily based in Liechtenstein.This has been “underneath the management and held for the good thing about” Mohamed Al Fayed’s property and household since his loss of life in 2023, in line with the accounts of a subsidiary firm filed within the UK. Al Fayed’s widow Heini Wathen-Fayed is a director of this subsidiary referred to as Hyde Park Residence Ltd, which manages a number of the flats.Dave M Benett/Getty ImagesAl Fayed’s widow Heini Wathen-Fayed, pictured along with her late husband, is a director of one of many subsidiaries which manages flats within the buildingAl Fayed’s son Dodi, who died in a automobile crash alongside Princess Diana in 1997, reportedly used to have a flat there.When Mohamed Al Fayed owned Harrods, he would generally let managers and administrators reside within the block, and the neighbouring constructing, 60 Park Lane, which he additionally owned.In 2024, the BBC spoke to 13 ladies who mentioned Fayed sexually assaulted them at 60 Park Lane. 4 of them mentioned they had been raped.Leaky roofsThe first challenge emerged quickly after Mr Hodson purchased the penthouse in 2004, in line with courtroom paperwork seen by the BBC.Mr Hodson made in depth enhancements to the house when he moved in – modifying the kitchen, upgrading the roof terraces, and placing in a brand new raise so he would not have to make use of a flight of stairs to entry the property.An settlement giving him authorized possession of his new raise – by updating his lease – wasn’t honoured by Liechtenstein-based PP, Mr Hodson claimed.Like many massive buildings, the possession of Hyde Park Residence is difficult. The freeholder of the constructing is the Grosvenor Property, which has in depth landholdings in central London. The Al Fayed household’s firm PP has the precise to make use of it for the following 110 years. This leasehold association, although time-limited, is taken into account a type of possession.Grosvenor ought to have been requested for permission earlier than these enhancements had been began. However permission was not requested – though it agreed in 2006 to grant permission retrospectively for a fee of £100,000, which Status Properties paid.Then, in 2014, Mr Hodson started to be bothered by noise from two of the buildings’ lifts. Regardless of his complaints, the noise grew worse, he argued, till in 2015 the constructing managers agreed to droop use of one of many troublesome lifts at evening.And in 2016, the 2 events fell out additional. PP demanded that Mr Hodson contribute £80,000 in the direction of the cash paid to the Grosvenor Property, some years earlier.The penthouse is throughout the highway from London’s well-known Hyde ParkThe following yr, the Hodson’s took PP and two different Fayed-controlled corporations to the Excessive Courtroom asking for an inventory of grievances to be met and damages paid.Among the many points, Mr Hodson mentioned that he had needed to increase the flat, including a ground. He had spent £180,000 growing a plan, however PP denied him permission to construct it, regardless of initially encouraging the plan – his legal professionals claimed.PP’s legal professionals argued the corporate hadn’t given Mr Hodson permission to increase his property. They mentioned that, as a property developer, he ought to have identified that he would not get permission with out paying PP, as the owner, thousands and thousands of kilos.Mr Hodson mentioned that on account of this dispute, PP allowed individuals to begin utilizing a loud raise once more, disturbing his sleep, which he thought was a “malicious and deliberate” response to a letter of grievance. He mentioned on one evening the raise was used 23 instances between midnight and 02:00.He additionally complained of poor restore work, which he mentioned left him with a leaky roof and harm to his roof terraces.The dispute nonetheless hasn’t been resolved. In March this yr, there was one other courtroom submitting from Mr Hodson claiming “the roof continues to be leaking. The raise continues to be making extreme noise… The corridors and foyer have by no means been completed following refurbishment.”Legal professionals for PP argue in reply that the noise from the raise is at “acceptable ranges” and deny that it was restarted maliciously. They admit water leaked however say their purchasers have taken all affordable steps to cease it.PP is counterclaiming £344,000 in floor lease, plus one other £286,000 of curiosity and prices.The sums are trivial in comparison with Mohamed Al Fayed’s wealth, estimated at £1.7bn on the time of his loss of life. And it’s exceptional {that a} dispute of this sort ought to have dragged on for therefore lengthy.However Al Fayed was identified for by no means giving an inch to these he fell out with – and that strategy appears to be persevering with even after his loss of life.Alan Hodson, Heini Wathen-Fayed, PP, and Grosvenor Property declined to remark.