A man from the UK is suing his local council over a Bitcoin hard drive that was buried in a landfill more than ten years ago. James Howells believes the Bitcoin wallet could now be worth £600 million, or over $1.1 billion. He claims that his girlfriend accidentally threw out the hard drive in 2013. Howells wants to access the landfill to retrieve it, but the council argues that too much time has passed and they have no obligation to help. During a court hearing, it was mentioned that Howells offered to donate 10 percent of the Bitcoin to the community, which the council labeled as a bribe. The judge has not yet made a decision on whether the case can proceed.
A UK man is making headlines as he tries to sue his local council over a hard drive containing Bitcoin that he buried in a landfill over a decade ago. James Howells believes that the Bitcoin wallet on the hard drive is now worth an astounding £600 million, which is over $1.1 billion. This unfortunate situation unfolded in 2013 when Howells claimed that his girlfriend accidentally discarded the hard drive.
The hard drive was buried by the Newport County authorities in Wales, and Howells is seeking permission to access the landfill site to retrieve it. During a recent court hearing, the council’s barrister argued that Howells had offered to donate 10 percent of the Bitcoin to the community, which they described as a bribe. They also emphasized that too much time has passed for Howells’ claim to hold any merit and mentioned that the council is not obligated to excavate the landfill.
In response, Howells’ lawyer refuted the bribery claims, asserting that Howell’s rights to reclaim his property should be recognized. “We seek, plainly and candidly, a declaration of rights over the ownership of the Bitcoin,” he stated in court. The judge has yet to make a decision on whether the case can proceed.
Stay tuned for updates on this unique legal battle that explores issues of property rights and cryptocurrency ownership.
Tags: Bitcoin, Cryptocurrency, Legal Battle, UK News, Newport County, Hard Drive Recovery, Lawsuit
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What happened with the man and the council?
A man is suing the council because he believes a huge amount of Bitcoin, worth billions, is buried in a landfill. He wants permission to dig it up. -
Why does he think the Bitcoin is in the landfill?
He believes the Bitcoin wallet was thrown away by mistake a long time ago, and it contains a large amount of money that he wants to recover. -
How much Bitcoin is he talking about?
He is talking about a Bitcoin wallet that could be worth around a billion dollars, depending on the price of Bitcoin. -
What does the council say about this?
The council has not agreed to let him dig in the landfill, and they have legal reasons for not allowing it. - What happens next in this case?
The case will likely go to court, where a judge will decide if the man can dig up the landfill to search for his lost Bitcoin.
