Ex-Rally Driver Faces Six-Figure Legal Bill Despite Winning Hedge Dispute

A five-year dispute over a strip of land between two seaside homes in Torquay has concluded with one party facing a significant legal bill, despite a High Court victory.

Ron Channon, 87, a former rally driver, won a £200,000 legal battle against his neighbour, estate agency boss Sarah Douglas, 57. However, Channon told the Daily Mail that he expects to be at least £100,000 out of pocket due to his own legal fees, which he states exceeded £300,000.

Douglas was ordered to pay over £200,000 of Channon's legal costs. She also had a High Court challenge to this order dismissed. The dispute centered on the boundary line between their properties, marked by a hedge that had been removed by a previous neighbour of Douglas in 2018.

Channon purchased his property next to Douglas's £700,000 home in June 2021 and subsequently erected a fence on what he believed to be his land. Douglas contended that the boundary should follow the line of the hedge's "southernmost leaf," which would have placed Channon's fence on her property. The court ruled that the boundary should be determined by the line of the hedge's stems, placing the fence on Channon's land.

Judge Paul Mitchell described the row as a "tragedy" that should have been resolved amicably, noting the significant stress and cost involved for both parties. He stated that the properties were in an "idyllic position" that should have been enjoyed without such conflict.

Channon, who has a background in insurance and participated in the 1970 London to Mexico World Cup Rally, believes the dispute could have been avoided. He told the Daily Mail that they had only met twice and that a resolution might have been possible "over a bottle of wine." He expressed dismay that the legal tussle had continued for so long, noting that he only engaged lawyers two years into the dispute after receiving a £50,000 demand. He added that he had offered £5,000 to end the saga, "even though I knew she was wrong."

Douglas, who moved into her home in 2017, has not commented. She was appointed chief executive of Devon estate agency Marchand Petit in 2023. Her property is situated to the north of Channon's, higher up the hill and commanding sea views.