Man attempting to sell mum’s house to pay for her care fees claims he can’t due to ‘eyesore’ next door
A man has claimed he's unable to sell his mum's house because of an odd structure in his neighbour's front garden.
John Kirby opened up about his struggles to sell the two-bed semi-detached home because of a sculpture by artist Denis Carbonaro, which has been described as the same as 'fly-tipping'.
The sculptor previously went viral for creating a number of things in his front and back garden during the COVID lockdown, such as a Spanish galleon up a tree, a spider and even a wooly mammoth.
Despite being a fan of his early work, John, 61, claims he now dumps miscellaneous items such as shopping trolleys and prams in his garden, excusing it as 'modern art'.
Advert
It is so unappealing to look at in fact, that he says it's stopping him from being able to sell his mother's house next door, as Denis said the mess was an 'artivist campaign' as people often appreciate his work without offering any donations.
John said that this latest work has brought a number of problems on for his family, explaining that his mother's health depends on the sale of the house.
"We need to sell mum's house to pay for her care.
"It has been on the market for a couple of months but only hasn't sold due to the eyesore next door.
"Everyone who has viewed it has loved the house - but that has put them off moving," he revealed.
He admitted that it was once an attraction for the area of Dalgety Bay, Fife, Scotland, but it is nothing more than an 'absolute mess' now.
John's mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in October 2021, and was put into a care home in March 2023, though now with savings gone, her family must sell the home to pay for her care.
Up on the market for less than £160,000, John's mum lived there for 12 years since his father died in 2011.
She also suspected that the sculptures next door were devaluing the house, which John dismissed at first, though he admits that 'she has been proven right' now.
Unfortunately, attempts to get the council involved have come to no avail as they said Denis was entitled to put 'what he wants in his front garden'.
The son added: "We have had nine viewings - all of them like the house, the size of rooms etc - but are put off and won't make an offer because of eyesore next door.
"How can he be allowed to get away with this when it's devaluing everyone else's homes?
"I tried to speak to him about it and asked him to clean up the front garden but he refused to do anything about it. I had to walk away I got so angry," he explained.
Denis admitted that his sculptures over the years were part of a bigger plan to turn his home into a tourist attraction, having worked as a sculptor in Sicily before moving to Scotland to pursue a standard 9-5 job.
Telling his side of the story, Denis shared: "While I understand their concerns, I believe it's important to provide some context that may have been overlooked.
"In August, John, the son of my neighbour, came to my door, blaming me for their difficulty in selling the property. After our discussion, I sent him a series of SMS messages outlining potential solutions to address both our concerns.
"As part of my long-standing campaign, 'WOWS DON'T GROW ON TREES, GARBAGE AND CLUTTER DO!', I have used items like trolleys and prams as symbolic representations to respond to the ongoing invasion of my privacy and the disregard for my copyright and intellectual property," he revealed.
The sculptor claimed he has not received enough financial support through donations despite interest in his work.
"In my communications with John, I made it clear that I am open to solutions, but it’s important to recognise that this isn’t a one-sided issue.
"The ongoing disregard for my privacy and work has deeply affected me, and my campaign reflects that," Denis highlighted.
Joshua Nair