Yes, another British home problem, only no newts involved here.

A billionaire is planning to transform a vacant London stately house into the world's most expensive home but cannot evict a squatter who has been living there for the past 21 years.

It seems that Harry Hallowes, 71, was awarded squatters' rights last year, which means he can continue living in his tent on the grounds.

Meanwhile, the tycoon will spend $160 million transforming the vacant Athlone House in Highgate, North London, into a stately home.

Once finished, the land and building will be worth an estimated $260 million. For comparison, superfreak Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch,at its greatest value was only worth $12 million.

The luxury site will have a grand driveway, an underground swimming pool, tennis courts and cottages for staff.

Apparently the trespasser's "land" is worth $8 million.

Time for me to check my yard for squatters. If I find any, nothing that a match and a can of gas couldn't take care of.

Labels: Harry Hallowes, news, squatter

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Posted By: Joe on Tuesday, April 15, 2008
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The heir to a $260 million fortune is facing jail after leaving a baby paralysed in a car crash. See the auto technology used to prove his dangerous driving.

Antonio Singh, 21, was speeding over 70mph and overtaking another car on a 30mph road when he crashed into the car carrying two-year-old Cerys Edwards. The child will need 24-hour care for the rest of her life.

The case was the first in the UK to use evidence from a black box recorder, which helped to estimate Singh's speed in the Range Rover at the time of impact and ultimately helped to convict him of dangerous driving in Birmingham, England. His sentencing will happen late this month.

The Event Data Recorder can record a car's speed and deceleration and other information such as the pressure on a brake pedal at the time of a crash.

Car manufacturers began installing them in vehicles in the 1990s to test early airbag performance, often wrongly deployed in cars being driven over bumps.

Data provided by the recorders has been used in the U.S. and Canada for the last ten years to investigate crashes and, in a few cases, aid court proceedings.

Experts predict such evidence will become an increasingly more common in British courts.

Labels: news, technology

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Posted By: Joe on Tuesday, April 08, 2008
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Rid yourself of telemarketers forever!

On Friday, February 15, 2008, the President signed into law: H.R. 3541, the Do Not Call Improvement Act of 2007, which prohibits the automatic removal of telephone numbers registered on the Federal registry; and S. 781, the Do Not Call Registry Fee Extension Act of 2007, which extends permanently the authority of the Federal Trade Commission to charge fees to telemarketers required to access the Federal registry and specifies the fees to be charged.

Give the Do Not Call a try, it has worked for me.

Labels: do not call, news, telemarketers

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Posted By: Joe on Thursday, February 21, 2008
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