Property millionaire "forced to sell £42m estate" in divorce
16th September 2009 by: Deborah Jeff
A city tycoon says he is being forced into selling his family’s £42m country manor due to a bitter divorce from his wife of 24 years.
Maurice Robson, 65, will put his estate and all related property on the market to appease his financial woes and reach the settlement proposed by wife, Chloe Robson, in their divorce proceedings.
The Grade II-listed estate, more than 300 years old, will come complete with 18th century gardens and a village of 18 houses in Nether Kiddington, Oxfordshire. It will be the most expensive country house to be placed on the market in five years.
“It’s a first-class estate, and in excellent shape. It’s very rare for an estate like this to come to the market in the prime counties everyone wants to move to,” said selling agent, Mark McAndrew.
“Most of the estates here of this size either stay in the family for generations, or have been split up.”
Mr Robson claims he needs to offload the estate to reach a settlement with his wife and the mother of his two children, Mrs Robson, but she has vehemently denied the claim.
“My husband would like to paint the picture that we are selling the property because of the divorce. It would have been sold anyway as it is not financially viable,” said Mrs Robson.
Without the full circumstances of this case it's impossible to tell whether the sale of the estate is necessary as a result of the divorce or would have happened in any event. What it does remind us is the need to have good financial advice before making any proposals for settlement in divorce proceedings or accepting any proposals from the other party. Sale of the matrimonial home isn't always necessary and depends very much on the needs of the parties and the availability of other assets.
Maurice Robson, 65, will put his estate and all related property on the market to appease his financial woes and reach the settlement proposed by wife, Chloe Robson, in their divorce proceedings.
The Grade II-listed estate, more than 300 years old, will come complete with 18th century gardens and a village of 18 houses in Nether Kiddington, Oxfordshire. It will be the most expensive country house to be placed on the market in five years.
“It’s a first-class estate, and in excellent shape. It’s very rare for an estate like this to come to the market in the prime counties everyone wants to move to,” said selling agent, Mark McAndrew.
“Most of the estates here of this size either stay in the family for generations, or have been split up.”
Mr Robson claims he needs to offload the estate to reach a settlement with his wife and the mother of his two children, Mrs Robson, but she has vehemently denied the claim.
“My husband would like to paint the picture that we are selling the property because of the divorce. It would have been sold anyway as it is not financially viable,” said Mrs Robson.
Without the full circumstances of this case it's impossible to tell whether the sale of the estate is necessary as a result of the divorce or would have happened in any event. What it does remind us is the need to have good financial advice before making any proposals for settlement in divorce proceedings or accepting any proposals from the other party. Sale of the matrimonial home isn't always necessary and depends very much on the needs of the parties and the availability of other assets.
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