The public have landed a hefty bill over the ownership of a horse evicted from a residential house more than two years ago.
Western Isles Council said today that it had already spent £8,000 on the horse’s upkeep since seizing it – over four times what owner Stephanie Noble paid for the animal.
In addition it faces a legal bill so far topping £5,000.
The council will be able to sell the Connemara pony – or donate it to a charity – if it eventually wins legal ownership of Grey Lady Too, but any proceeds are unlikely to cover the upkeep costs, let alone the legal bills.
The case has been thrown into confusion over previous legal challenges and is due to come before Stornoway Sherrif Court next Wednesday.
The authority is seeking a disposal order – Ms Noble wants the return of the horse.
The council seized the animal in February 2014, claiming its living conditions for the previous two years in the front room of the ex-council house at Broadbay View, Back, on the Isle of Lewis, broke guidelines.
Though Ms Noble is still the official owner, the local authority is forced to pay thousands of pounds looking after it at stables on the neighbouring island of Benbecula, more than 80 miles away.
The council has gone to court to try and obtain legal ownership so it can sell – or donate – the horse.
But a legal blunder resulted in the council’s earlier bid to abolish Ms Noble’s rights to the animal being thrown out by a sheriff. Now a new attempt is being made next week.
A spokesman for the council said today:”The upkeep bill so far is around £8000. There are also legal costs. The council will be seeking to recover all the costs through the court.”
“This case has always been motivated by the welfare of the pony.”
The local authority first went to court seeking ownership of Grey Lady Too, which would abolish all Ms Noble’s rights to the animal.
But three words – Stephanie Ann Noble – was missing from vital legal documents. It meant the council failed to specify who it was taking the legal action against.