Mansion Becomes Unauthorised Commune: Neighbours Outraged as Ex-Premier League Owner’s Housemaid Hosts Extended Family
A sprawling seven-bedroom mansion, once the prized possession of a disgraced former Premier League club owner, has become the centre of a heated neighbourhood dispute. The property, valued at a staggering £7 million, is at the heart of a row after its Filipino housekeeper, who has resided there for nearly two decades, reportedly housed eleven of her friends and family members, transforming the affluent Coombe estate in south-west London into an unauthorised commune.
Carson Yeung, the former owner of Birmingham City, purchased the opulent residence in 2007. However, his presence at the property has been minimal, with the mansion largely entrusted to the care of his housekeeper, Concepcion Limson. Remarkably, Ms. Limson has also taken on the role of legal guardian to Yeung’s granddaughter, raising the child as her own within the expansive estate. Over time, this arrangement evolved, with Ms. Limson inviting her extended family, friends, and acquaintances to live at the property to assist with the child’s care. This situation has ignited fury among Yeung’s wealthy neighbours, whose own homes in this exclusive postcode are valued at over £14 million.
The extraordinary living arrangements were brought to light through planning documents submitted to the local council. The sheer number of occupants led to Ms. Limson being instructed to apply for a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) licence. Yeung, who acquired Birmingham City for £81.5 million in 2009 when they were still in the Premier League, was later incarcerated for six years in 2014 for laundering £55 million in Hong Kong. During his imprisonment, both Yeung and his partner, Dan Zhou, reportedly made infrequent visits to their London mansion.
Council Intervention and Neighbourly Objections
Local council officials initiated enforcement action due to the unusual living situation, citing the property’s operation as an unauthorised HMO. In her planning application, Ms. Limson detailed her role as the legal guardian for Yeung’s granddaughter, stating the child had “no contact with her natural parents or the grandparents.” She explained her inability to manage the vast property alone while raising the child, necessitating the presence of her extended family and other acquaintances for support and care.
Agents representing Ms. Limson informed Kingston-upon-Thames council that the original owners had departed the country and placed the house under her care due to “various family circumstances.” They further elaborated that Ms. Limson had permitted members of her extended family and other individuals known to her to reside at the property. The application also highlighted her guardianship of one of the owner’s granddaughters, who had lived with her at the house since birth. Ms. Limson maintained that the extended household functioned as a surrogate family, providing a “safe, secure and loving environment” for the child. Consequently, they argued that an application for a change of use to a large HMO was necessary due to the presence of unrelated occupants.
However, this application met with significant opposition from the local residents. A substantial number of neighbours, 38 in total, lodged formal objections. They expressed concerns that an HMO would “undermine the established character of the area,” “increase noise levels,” and set a detrimental precedent for the prestigious estate.
- One neighbour pointed to the “legal situation of the owner” as a cause for concern.
- Another resident suggested that an HMO would “reduce the security of adjoining properties by accommodating people who would be likely to break into neighbours’ houses.”
When approached by the press, locals voiced their dissatisfaction with the property functioning as a de facto house-share. One resident described the setup as “like student accommodation.”
Concerns Over Character and Security
A neighbour recounted how “a lot of people were there during the lockdown when extra relations of the lady, who was the housekeeper, started staying.” They added that upon the council’s awareness of the number of occupants, residents were informed that they required permission and needed to apply for an HMO. This news was met with considerable unhappiness among the neighbours.
The resident elaborated on the concerns: “This is an area of special interest with a lot of old houses. We just thought an HMO is not appropriate for the area and we definitely do not want these lovely family homes being changed into flats. We were not happy to have more people here and we thought if it was approved it would set a precedent.”
Another neighbour emphasised the nature of the estate: “The houses here are big family homes and we don’t want to see big HMOs right in the middle of the estate because it’s not in keeping with what you see and it’s not really the place for it. It’s okay when you have these big homes filled with big families, but when you have individuals who are not related to one another and they might invite their other friends, it starts to feel like student accommodation.”
They continued, “Suddenly you have this big group of unrelated people in the middle of these family homes. And it feels like the countryside here so it’s not something many people on the estate would be supportive of. We bought this place because of the family feel to the community and it’s very nice here. HMOs would make the area have a different feel to it.”
Ruling and Yeung’s Past
Ms. Limson, in her defence, argued that many of the occupants were “key workers” including “nurses, a child psychologist and a pharmacist.” She reiterated that the owners had “now left the country” and that she could not manage the house and child without the support of her extended family and friends.
Despite these arguments, the council rejected the retrospective application and issued an enforcement notice to cease the unauthorised use. This month, the independent Planning Inspectorate dismissed Ms. Limson’s final appeal.
In his ruling, inspector Simon Hand stated that the house had been operating as an HMO since its purchase in 2007. He noted that occupancy peaked at 11 people in 2013 and rose again to 10 in 2019, remaining “high thereafter.” Mr. Hand confirmed that Carson Yeung and Dan Zhou, based in Hong Kong, are the owners, with intermittent visits to the UK. He identified Concepcion Limson as the sole occupant throughout the entire period, appearing to be an employee and legal guardian of their granddaughter, who lives with her. A variety of other individuals have resided at the house over the years.
Mr. Hand observed that Ms. Limson “would appear to be an employee of the owners, who live abroad.” He further noted that she lives with an “adopted daughter” and that other occupants are “wider members of the family who have come to London to attend university.” He acknowledged that while third parties had provided information, “actual details are sparse.”
Residents now have a six-month grace period to find alternative accommodation before the mansion must revert to its intended use as a single-family dwelling. This ruling adds a further chapter to the ignominious downfall of Carson Yeung.
A Fall from Grace
Formerly a hairdresser, Yeung amassed considerable wealth on the Hong Kong stock market before his acquisition of Birmingham City. His tenure was marked by promises of significant investment and ambitious plans to penetrate the Chinese market. However, his reign was short-lived. Within two years, he was arrested in Hong Kong and subsequently sentenced to six years for laundering over £55 million. Prosecutors linked his activities to high-stakes casino gambling and organised crime. A judge described Yeung as someone who “lied whenever he saw the need to do so,” concluding that his financial acumen was central to the money-laundering operation.
The court heard evidence of Yeung’s business relationship with Cheung Chi-tai, a leader of Wo Hop To, one of Hong Kong’s most prominent Triad organised crime gangs. Although these offences were not directly linked to his ownership of Birmingham City, Yeung resigned from all his roles post-conviction, plunging the club into uncertainty. Control of the club eventually passed to Hong Kong businessman Paul Suen, before it was acquired by US firm Knighthead Capital Management in 2023, with NFL legend Tom Brady taking a minority stake.
