ASELF-STYLED aristocrat who has left a trail of debt across Scotland faces the prospect of being thrown out of his country mansion for failing to pay the rent.
Australian-born Mr Andrew Battenberg, 42, is at the centre of legal moves to remove him from Dunfallandy House in Perthshire.
The owner of the Georgian house, Iain Stewart-Fergusson, went to Perth Sheriff Court yesterday in an attempt to have Battenberg removed.
He claimed the tenant had failed to pay the [pounds]5000-a-year rent on the property after moving in last April.
It is the latest case to emerge against the self-styled Lord Battenberg, who claims to have royal connections but who has a string of debts in the UK and Australia.
Mr Stewart-Fergusson, a Durham-based exporter, said:
"Frankly, if I had never met him I would be a happy guy . . . He has left a trail of financial destruction . . . He got in touch just over a year ago and made an offer to buy the property. It's my family's inherited property and I wouldn't sell it unless I had to.
"He came back and said he would rent it. He claimed he was going to be a white knight and sort the property out, but nothing ever happened. He told me he got an allowance of [pounds]275,000-a-year, but that's absolute bull."
At court, he sought a decree for the removal of Mr Battenberg, who had taken out a 10year lease on Dunfallandy House, but had failed to keep it in good repair or pay the rent on time.
Described in court papers as Andrew Charles Robert Edward Albert Battenberg, aka Andrew Lee, aka Lord Battenberg, he was not in court to defend the claim.
However, a representative of the legal firm Turcan Connell appeared on his behalf. A proof will be heard in June.
Mr Battenberg recently left Dunfallandy, before being ordered to pay nearly [pounds]3000 to his former chauffeur Ronald Chidgzey by an industrial tribunal.
Mr Battenberg, whose mother comes from Oldham, is believed to have bought his title for about [pounds]5000 and adopted the name because of its royal links.
He is alleged to have duped several businessmen into working for him and then failed to pay for the services provided.
He arrived in the UK in 2003 and shortly afterwards entered into a lavish scheme to restore Dunfallandy House to its former glory. He instructed Pitlochry-based builder Stuart Cruikshank Construction to carry out extensive refurbishment work.
Between October 2003 and May last year, almost [pounds]35,000 was spent on work throughout the building - but Mr Battenberg is said to have only paid [pounds]12,000.
Mr Cruikshank's move to claw back the [pounds]22,423 from Mr Battenberg had failed to pay for the work carried out was granted by the same court, but is now the subject of an appeal.
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