British expats win Bulgarian property dispute

The high profile case of UK expat Bryan Talbot has been decided in the Briton’s favour over a property fraud incident.

The case has garnered attention of a host of politicians including David Milliband, UK Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and Jacques Barrot, the Vice President of the EC. The court also learned of James Elles, UK MEP member, writing to Milliband last month urging him to liaise with the Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov and intervene on the Talbot family’s behalf with the local judiciary.

The case dates back to 2006 when Bryan Talbot purchased his dream villa in the village of Polkovnik Sveshtarovo near Dobrich. The property cost EUR 98,000 and Talbot spent an additional EUR 40,000 out of his retirement money to renovate and furnish his paradise getaway – all with the help of local handyman Dimitar Teoharov.

On returning to the UK Talbot gave power of attorney to Teoharov in order that the handyman could pay his bills for him. Talbot returned to the property in 2007 to discover that Teoharov had totally gutted the villa which had also been padlocked and sold by the Bulgarian. Teoharov sold the villa to a Sofia based company for BGN 10,000 (around £4,600) and had fled the country. The villa was further sold twice more at similar prices.

The case has suffered numerous adjournments but Talbot eventually won in the Dobrich Court in July and has now been successful in the first appeal hearing. The case is still open for appeal which will take place next month in Sofia if lodged.