CHEAP MANSION

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 304, 18 August 1932, Page 3

CHEAP MANSION

RESIDHNCE OF ENGLISH PEER SOLD FOR SEYEN POUNDS. Only £7 was realised at an auction sale in Nottingham lately for St. Heliers. The Park, Nottingbam', tbe residence of the late Lord Trent, formerly Sir Jesse Boot, who had spent many thousands of pounds on the mansion. The hidding started at £5, and wh'en it reaehed £7 the property was lcnocked down to Mr. H. Wightman. There was no reserve on it. The auctioneer told a reporter that the reason why such a low figure was realised was that the immense house is a "white elephant." "It is leasehold," the auctioneer said, "and although there is ahout 50 years of the lease to run there is a ground rent of £116 a" year, which has to he paid to the estate of the Duke of Newcastle whether the property is occupied or not. The house eannot he pulled down, and there are restrictive eovenants on it which prevent it from being used for flats or any other purpose than a dwelling. 'We did not expect to get a bid at all. I think we shouuld have sold even if we had only been offered 5s. The house has no market value whatever, unless some rich man happened to take a fancy to it. It is in a good state of repair, but has not heen lived in for ten years." Among the additions made to the house by the late Lord Trent was an immense eonservatory. He also had a tower constructed to contain a lift at the time when he became too ill to walk upstairs. Mr. Wightman said after the sale that he went there to huy some land, and his bidding for the property was a joke with a friend. "When the bidding rose from £5 to £6 my friend said 'Go on, Herbert, hid seven.' I did, and then the hammer came down." Mr. Wightman says he hopes to convert. the property into flats.