Man who blew £220,000 building two 'illegal' homes is selling them for £30,000 instead of knocking them down... because he would have to sell his Porsche to cover the costs

Published: 19:29, 10 May 2026 | Updated: 19:33, 10 May 2026 A man who spent £220,000 building two homes without planning permission is now flogging them for a fraction of the cost to avoid tearing them down. Last year, Martin Rhode was threatened with jail if he failed to abide by a court injunction ordering him to demolish the semi-detached properties in the affluent market town of Leominster, Herefordshire. But Mr Rhode claims the only way he could afford to raze both homes would be to sell his Porsche. To avoid parting with his beloved car he has decided to auction off the properties for £30,000 despite most homes in the area fetching £500,000.  The unfinished homes in Duke's Walk have been lying derelict since 2019, attracting squatters, vandalism and drug users. Neighbours say the failed project has made their lives a 'misery' and 'hell on earth'. Hilary Currie told the Daily Mail: 'I'm saddened, frustrated and a bit embarrassed by the eyesore. 'This is a blight on a town that prides itself on its history and heritage. It's a mess and the developer is evading responsibility.' Pictured: Mr Rhode's home - he claims the only way he could afford to raze his abandoned development would be to sell his Porsche Martin Rhode (pictured) was threatened with jail if he failed to abide by a court injunction ordering him to demolish the semi-detached properties in the affluent market town of Leominster, Herefordshire Hilary, who tours visitors around the historic town, admitted the 'unsightly' site is driving tourists away. She added: 'If you think about people visiting the town, then it doesn't give a good impression. It's a heritage area, a conservation area, we want to attract visitors. 'There's lots of broken glass, it's tempting for people to use it as shelter, there are no signs saying keep out. There's a lovely town that's trying to prosper and trying to invite people to enjoy its heritage and history and yet the cost of this going forward cannot be recouped for the town.' Pub landlords Bob and Nina Newman, who run 'The Chequers Inn' overlooking the site, described the horror of living nearby. Bob said: 'Screaming and shouting, mattresses and rodents have all been spotted there. 'The site encourages vermin, drugs…it looks like a prison, it's got worse, and worser, and worse. In 2018, Mr Rhode substantially built the development, which was initially meant to be one property.  He claimed work began on the site in 2011, meaning it could not longer be challenged and so he sought a lawful development certificate. The unfinished homes in Duke's Walk have been lying derelict since 2019, attracting squatters, vandalism and drug users Neighbours say the failed project has made their lives a 'misery' and 'hell on earth' However, Herefordshire Council refused citing 'significant anomalies' in his timeline. The council issued an enforcement notice in 2019 ordering him to demolish the buildings and last summer they sought a court injunction.  Mr Rhode then put in a planning application to replace the development with a four-bedroom house - this was rejected.  Mr Rhode insists he is strapped for cash and defended himself.  He told the Daily Mail: 'I could sell the Porsche; that would knock it down'. Meanwhile he claimed to have 'no money or resources to sell' to fund demolition. 'I've spent £300,000, vast amounts of money, trying to resolve it to no success,' he added.  Rhea, another neighbour, branded the development a 'waste of space'. Pub landlords Bob and Nina Newman (pictured) , who run 'The Chequers Inn' overlooking the site, described the horror of living nearby She added: 'It's something you'd expect in an inner-city…when you look at the other buildings [in the town], they're nice and dated. This doesn't fit in. 'The building work is shoddy and immoral. It's built too high, and the information in the planning application was false. It rips the pride in our town away. 'There's a telephone pole wire that runs through the patchy attic…like who does that?' 'The guy who owns it…[he] lives in a pretty cottage. I'd like to put all this mess outside his house.' However, Mr Rhode insisted he's tried to resolve the situation. He added: 'I've tried numerous ways to appease the council…and as far as I'm concerned the height [of the building] is correct. 'It's not my fault always…I've tried with the local authority. 'I'm 65-years-old. I have no time for this. 'I would offer an apology to the local residents, but I didn't envisage I would have to knock it down.'  The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. 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