Creepy abandoned Hertfordshire mansion is owned by mysterious Greek property tycoon
EXCLUSIVE – Revealed: Creepy abandoned mansion frozen in time – with plates still in the dishwasher and a BENTLEY rusting in the drive – was lived in for 18 years by mysterious Greek property tycoon who did ‘midnight flit’ with his family three years ago
- Villagers told how Athanasios Tachmintzis lived for around 18 years in the imposing house near King’s Langley
- But this came before the 70-year-old Greek property tycoon disappeared suddenly more than three years ago
- Mr Tachmintzis, whose wife died several years ago, is believed to have lived with two daughters and one son
- The property dealer, known as Thanos, was said to be concerned about security, with guards and Dobermans
- Neighbours spent years wondering what caused the occupants to seemingly flee the house in such a hurry
By Andrew Young For Mailonline
Published: 05:29 EDT, 20 May 2020 | Updated: 05:38 EDT, 20 May 2020
A mansion which was left abandoned with plates still in the dishwasher and a Bentley on the driveway was home to a Greek property millionaire, MailOnline can reveal.
Villagers told how father-of-five Athanasios Tachmintzis, 70, lived for around 18 years in the imposing house near King’s Langley, Hertfordshire, before he disappeared suddenly more than three years ago.
Mr Tachmintzis is understood to have lived in the past with his two daughters and at least one of his sons, but it is unclear who was at the house when it was abandoned and left frozen in time.
His wife Sharon, who was born in north Wales, died aged 52 in May 2004 following a 32-year marriage. The couple had three sons Alexis, 43, Nicholas, 41, and Paul, 36, as well as daughters Kiristiana, 34, and 28-year-old Alicia.
Mr Tachmintzis, who is known as Thanos, was said to be so concerned about security that he once had guards on the gate of his luxury home and kept Dobermans as guard dogs.
Neighbours have spent years wondering what caused the occupants to seemingly flee the house in a hurry, leaving a huge number of possessions behind them.
But pictures emerged on Monday from an urban explorer who gained entry to the house and photographed furniture, ornaments, designer clothes still hanging up and even a half finished game of chess on a table.
Villagers told how father-of-five Athanasios Tachmintzis, 70, lived for around 18 years in the imposing house near King’s Langley, Hertfordshire, before he disappeared suddenly more than three-years-ago. Pictured: An old Bentley by the house
The mansion (pictured) was left abandoned with plates still in the dishwasher and a Bentley on the driveway and was home to the Greek property millionaire, MailOnline can reveal
Mr Tachmintzis is understood to have lived in the past with his two daughters and at least one of his sons, but it is unclear who was at the house (pictured, a snooker game half finished) when it was abandoned and left frozen in time
Mr Tachmintzis who was known as Thanos was said to be so concerned about security that he once had guards on the gate of his luxury home (pictured, a telescope) and kept Dobermans as guard dogs
Other pictures showed a watch untouched on a bedside table and designer clothes – including Yves St Laurent, Gucci and Louis Vuitton labels – on rails in a bedroom (pictured)
The gates to the house are starting to overgrow with weeds and shrubs as the imposing mansion continues to lie abandoned
The haunting images also showed a snooker table with balls scattered on the baize as if players had left in the middle of a game, as well as five cars in the overgrown grounds including the rusty Bentley.
One villager, who asked not to be named, said: ‘I ride my horse down the road every day and all of a sudden I realised around three years ago that the people there had just disappeared.
‘I just thought at first that they had gone away somewhere and would then come back – but nobody did. It is most strange.
‘At first the gates were just shut and then a padlock and chain appeared on them. You could just see the grass getting longer and longer and growing around the cars.
‘Nobody around here has a clue what happened to them and why they just upped and left. It is a real mystery. They obviously had loads of money because it is a big house. There were always lots of comings and goings with different people going in and out.
Mr Tachmintzis’ son Nicholas (pictured) also used the house near King’s Langley as the registered address of a dormant company called Mirai Industek Ltd in December 2018
‘They used to have up to three Dobermans. His two daughters would walk them, and sometimes the cleaner would take them out, but they were too big for her to handle and she had to stop. I was concerned about the dogs because you would sometimes hear them howling.
‘One day around six-years-ago, this guy in his 40s came out and said that his dogs had gone missing and he asked if we had seen them, but we hadn’t. The girls were dark haired and very pretty. I think they used to go to a local health club and gym.’
Another woman, who keeps a horse nearby, said: ‘I knew the chap as Thanos. I once had my horse in the field next door and a tree fell down in his garden and came over on to the neighbour’s land.
‘He got it sorted out eventually and gave me his phone number in case I needed to contact him again, but I lost it when I changed phones.
‘It is such a shame that the house has been left to go to rack and ruin. I always used to see a lot of people there. Whether they were workers or family I don’t know.
‘I think the dobermans they had were imported because their ears were clipped and pointing up which is not allowed in this country.’
Another villager said he heard Mr Tachmintzis, had once made a large amount of money on a property deal involving a house at the exclusive Sandbanks resort in Dorset.
The villager said: ‘I can remember seeing guards on the gates of the house around 15-years-ago so he was certainly concerned about security.
‘I believe his wife had cancer and died several years ago. He also had a housekeeper, but she left suddenly. It is certainly very odd. Nobody knows what caused them to leave the house, seemingly never to return.’
Land Registry records reveal the house has been owned since 1999 by a company called Ainhurst Enterprises Ltd, with a care of address at a firm of solicitors in Bournemouth, Dorset.
Land Registry records reveal the house (pictured, the kitchen) has been owned since 1999 by a company called Ainhurst Enterprises Ltd, with a care of address at a firm of solicitors in Bournemouth, Dorset
Neighbours have spent years wondering what caused the occupants to seemingly flee the house (pictured, a Jacuzzi-style bath) in a hurry, leaving a huge number of possessions behind them
The mansion, which has eight bedrooms, six bathrooms and four reception rooms (pictured), is well past its glory days now
Old cars that have not been used for years since the previous owners left the house sit abandoned outside the towering building
The mansion (pictured) in Kings Langley, Hertfordshire, is just a stone’s throw away from Watford and has been strangely well preserved
The company does not feature on Companies House records, suggesting it is based overseas. The Land Registry records also show a number of charges for allegedly unpaid bills have been made against the abandoned house.
Three of the charges registered in 2017 are to repay sums allegedly owed to power company Dong Energy Sales (UK).
There are also three charges relating to debts allegedly owed to Three Rivers District Council. Two of the charge were registered in 2018, and the third was last year.
Mr Tachmintzis was also registered as living in 2016 in a Georgian house in Cliveden Place, Belgravia (pictured). The leasehold of the house was bought for £1,075,000 in July last year when there was only 18 years remaining on the lease
The business affairs of Mr Tachmintzis appear to be shrouded in mystery. Companies House records described him as a British property consultant when he was director of a property management company between 1991 and 1995.
His only other UK directorship was in a company called Imperial Estates London Ltd which was set up with him as sole shareholder in June 2017 and gave his nationality as Greek. The firm never filed accounts and was struck off the companies register last August.
He was also registered as living in 2016 in a Georgian house in Cliveden Place, Belgravia. The leasehold of the house was bought for £1,075,000 in July last year when there was only 18 years remaining on the lease.
The new owners are a limited company owned by an architect, using the same mail forwarding and registered office address in north London as thousands of other companies including two businesses linked to Mr Tachmintzis’s sons Nicholas and Paul.
Nicholas is registered as being available for work as an actor on his website.
He states online he completed an acting course at Pinewood studios in 2014 and is interested in roles as an ‘extra’, even though he has ‘no major experience’.
Nicholas also used the house near King’s Langley as the registered address of a dormant company called Mirai Industek Ltd in December 2018.
The previous owners appeared to be keen scientists, with books across the house on chemistry (left) and biology. Right: A dirty bathroom in the house
An imposing mantelpiece has a fancy clock and toys strewn across it, with candles and vases making up the decoration above the fire
A watch stuck in time lies untouched on a bedside table while designer clothes are still stacked up on rails in a bedroom
A Japanese-theme piano takes pride of place in one of the rooms with the music left out ready to play, while stacks of china sit on a living room table next to oddly white and dust-free sofas
The urban explorer who took the images said he had never seen such a well-preserved house. Pictured: Teddies lining the staircase
The company which had him as a director since January 2014 was struck off in April last year. Companies House records described the nature of the company’s business as ‘non-specialised wholesale trade’.
His older brother Alexis appears to have had a troubled past with records showing that he lived in a hostel run by a homeless project in London between 2013 and 2015.
He was also declared missing for a period in June 2003 after he was last seen leaving a relatives house in north west London.
The Metropolitan Police appealed at the time for any information on his whereabouts, saying that he had previously gone missing and may have gone to the King’s Langley area which he was ‘fond’ of and where he had other relatives.
A villager living near the abandoned house told how he knocked on the door around a year ago when the gate was not padlocked to discuss getting improved broadband for the village, even though he suspected it was empty.
He peered inside when there was no reply and saw water ‘pouring into the hallway from a leak.’ The pictures taken by the urban explorer showed the ceiling in the kitchen having collapsed, caused apparently by leaking water.
Teacups and saucers are stacked up on a table near a grand fireplace, while a globe sits alone in the corner of the haunting living room
Books that have remained unread for years line the windowsill that looks out over a vast, green garden in the south east of England
Amazingly, a potted plant is still alive in its pot on a windowsill next to a telescope lined up ready for its owner to look at the night sky
Other pictures showed a watch untouched on a bedside table and designer clothes – including Yves St Laurent, Gucci and Louis Vuitton labels – on rails in a bedroom.
There are also empty fish tanks lined up in a grand hallway, a Japanese-themed piano in one of the rooms, with the music left out ready to play, and stacks of china on a living room table next to oddly white and dust-free sofas.
A huge bathroom contained a jacuzzi bath with half used shampoo and conditioner bottles lined up nearby. A potted plant was alive on a windowsill next to a telescope lined up ready for its owner to look at the night sky.
The urban explorer said he had never seen such a well-preserved abandoned house. He said unopened post had filled the entrance hallway, dating back to 2016.
He said: ‘It was an amazing house to visit. I’ve seen a lot of these places and most are in a far worse state than this one.
‘It was literally like the people who lived there got up in the middle of the night and ran without taking anything. There was dry cleaning still in the plastic wrapping – it appears they didn’t even pack a bag.’
‘It must have been a fast move as even their toothbrushes were still there.’
