A British millionaire who won the legal battle against his neighbor's castle expresses

A British millionaire who won a 14-year battle in France to have her neighbor's luxury castle demolished said she was trying to protect the environment.

Caroline Butt and her husband Stephen celebrate the holiday after a French court ordered businessman Patrick Diter to demolish the property of 48 million pounds in Grbade.

The Castle Diter was used for high society weddings and appeared on The X Factor in 2017, but the owner rebuilt it without a building permit and built a road through a protected forest.

Ms. Butt said Diter had organized crazy parties in her garden, broadcasting music from 132 speakers and leaving the British couple "unable to enjoy our own home".

Addressing MailOnline today, she said the problem was "to protect the environment and to respect the law" and "not to know who has the biggest house".

Revealing her troubles with Mr. Diter, she said, "He has 132 speakers in the garden. One of the reasons we bought our house was peace and quiet. We spent 16 years remodeling a rustic place with pbadion.

"Sometimes the music is so loud that we can not sit on the terrace because all you hear is loud music. You can not sleep and he has had parties until 5am. This means that you can not enjoy your own home.

"Yes, we could have moved elsewhere because we have the money to do it, but it was with us. We use it, our children use it and we always have friends who visit us. It's our heritage and we do not want to give it up.

"We were there only last weekend and we use it mostly during the season from April to October. We could go anywhere in the world, so why would we be jealous of her house?

"We have many neighbors who have been involved in the legal battle."

She declined to say how much they spent on legal fees, but added, "Everyone knows how expensive lawyers can be."

Mrs Butt, who has dual French-British nationality, said she was particularly upset when Diter built an asphalt road that resulted in the felling of hundreds of trees.

The couple, who owns a £ 10 million townhouse in Kensington, West London, bought his house nestled in green hills, olive groves and vineyards in 2001.

The fake castle, which has landscaped gardens, swimming pools, lounges and deluxe rooms and a heliport, is located just below the Butts' house, near the town of Grbade, the perfume capital of France.

They had little contact with M. Ditier, who rented the palace to extravagant filmmakers and weddings.

Despite the court of appeal's decision to order Demiter to demolish his home and an illegally built access road within 18 months, Butt hopes the legal battle will continue.

She added that her neighbor had already submitted arguments to a higher court in France in order to obtain the annulment of the decision.

"It's been a long battle and it's not over yet," she said.

"It's not just about Stephen and me, but all the neighbors who have been touched. It is not only our peace that has been affected, but also all the other neighbors. We have nothing against this man but how he does it.

"He has the right to live on his property, but all we have asked is that the law be respected. Sometimes you have to defend what you believe to be right and uphold the law. & # 39;

The castle must be demolished because its owner, Patrick Diter, did not obtain permission to build before its construction in a protected wooded area in 2005, announced Monday the Court of Appeal of 39; Aix-en-Provence.

He appeared on The X Factor in 2017 when Simon Cowell and Cheryl Cole traveled to the south of France to film some of the talent contests.

The British couple, which manages hedge funds in London, was appalled when the millionaire began organizing mega-parties disruptive for the rich and celebrities.

The French businessman Diter now has 18 months to demolish this area, which was often used by oligarchs and their relatives for weddings and film production companies, for more than £ 40,000 a day.

Diter was fined more than £ 350,000. If the palace is not destroyed in 18 months, he faces a fine of up to £ 500 a day, French media reported.

Prosecutor Pierrre-Jean Gaury described Diter's palace as a "pharaonic project, delusional, totally illegal and illegally built", according to the French media

It was built in violation of town planning regulations as well as safety rules and environmental protection by an owner whose "only concern is money," he said. .

Another court official compared him in 2016 to "drivers driving without a license" after he was accused of having built on his site without the proper permits.

But before that, Diter came back to Mr. Butt saying, "The truth is that I've built something better than him. He is jealous of my property and your question is bigger than mine. It's all about ego. I want to make my wine and my olive oil in peace, that's all.

Mrs Butt and her husband – who according to Paris Match had a fortune of up to half a billion pounds – were awarded £ 15,000 in damages.

The site once housed a 2,700-square-foot farm and was converted into a Renaissance castle with extensive grounds, three swimming pools, two heliports, and enough space to accommodate 2,000 partygoers.

During the renovation, Diter claimed that he had cleaned the property, which was "infested with snakes and insects" and had added thousands of trees to the forest.

He also claimed to have received "verbal" permission to expand the property.

The court however estimated that there should be 32,000 square feet, as well as a heliport, a pool and a road leading to the property through a protected wood.

The original building, much smaller, can stay upright.

Diter and his Italian wife would have settled on the farm in 2000, the year of their daughter's birth, before starting the renovation and expansion in 2005.

In 2004, he sold 20 acres of land to the British couple – who said they were in the beginning of good conditions – and used that money to start his construction work.

S addressing the Telegraph in 2015, Ms. Butt said:We helped each other. I remember having hosted one of her babysitters.

"But every time we came back from London, we noticed the presence of a new building: a pavilion, a tower.

Mr. Butt was described in 2014 as "one of the city's richest men," building a fortune through the Silchester International Investors badet management company, the company he's founded in 1994.

According to Nice Matin, another neighbor, Anne-Marie Sohn, was made aware of the construction work in 2005 when construction equipment began to hit her wall.

She then investigated the missing building permit and alerted the local authorities.

Among the people who would have celebrated weddings at the castle are Italian rugby player Mirco Bergamasco and magnate Kimi Grover who have married his son Kunal with Ria Dubash in the presence of many Bollywood film industry stars.

He was also hired by a television crew to be used in episodes of The Crossing, a detective series starring Donald Sutherland.

In addition, it has been used as a hotel, with 18 luxury suites on its website and a "grand medieval cloister" for private functions.

The website states: "The landscaped gardens are extremely impressive, with beautiful fountains, Roman columns and a Renaissance theme, allowing guests to enjoy the tranquility and enjoy the sumptuous surroundings. , dominated by the dramatic bell tower and castle.

"The impressive Renaissance property is characterized by an elegant atmosphere created by sumptuous furniture, imposing fireplaces, Venetian chandeliers and magnificent frescoes.

"Creating a real sense of luxury and decadence, guests can relax in style, with everything they might need for a perfect holiday.

"The castle has a main reception room, comfortable lounges, a library with a 15th century fireplace and spacious dining rooms.

"It also has a TV room, a cellar with a wine tasting room and a well equipped kitchen overlooking the garden to the Italian."