Pink Floyd's legend David Gilmour sues government over £10M mansion ownership dispute

Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour discovers £10M mansion legally belongs to the Crown due to an administrative error.

Pink Floyd icon David Gilmour is attempting to sell a £10 million mansion, but it has uncovered that he doesn’t legally own it.  

The 78-year-old recently discovered that a legal oversight means the six-bedroom home he shares with his wife, Polly Samson, is technically owned by the Crown.  

Gilmour has now filed a lawsuit against the government in an effort to fix the mistake and gain ownership so he can proceed with the sale, as reported by MailOnline.

He initially purchased Medina House, a former women’s public baths overlooking the sea, in 2011 through his previous company, Hoveco Ltd, where he was the sole director.  

When the company dissolved in 2014, an administrative error resulted in the property not being transferred into his name.  

According to UK law, if a business dissolves without transferring its assets, those assets automatically become 'bona vacantia' (ownerless property) and are claimed by the Crown.  

Gilmour, who has resided in the home with Samson, 62, for years, attributes the situation to an administrative mistake and has taken his case to the High Court in London, suing the Attorney General.

He is seeking a court order to officially transfer ownership of the property to his name so that he can sell it.  

Legal professionals note that cases like this are exceedingly rare.  

Nick Brett, Partner at Brett Wilson LLP, told MailOnline: “Imagine thinking you own a house for over a decade, particularly one worth £10-15 million, but then when you want to sell it, you discover you can’t because in fact technically legal ownership may have passed to the State. It must have come as a huge shock when he found out. It’s an extraordinary situation that is also incredibly rare.”  

The property, Medina House, spans 6,284 square feet and features a courtyard, covered garden, four bathrooms, four reception rooms across three floors, a wine store, a snug, a gym, and a library. One reception room, which includes a dining area, measures an impressive 49 feet.  

This legal battle marks the latest chapter in a series of complications surrounding the property since its purchase.