Two property developers who spent more than a decade trying to evict a mechanic from his South Norwood premises appear to have walked away from the project just months after taking full control of the site.

James Groux and Serina Drake, acting as Greathall Limited, bought the Railway Buildings plot next to Norwood Junction station for £112,000 in 2002 with the stated intention of replacing the existing industrial units with housing.

But the pair spent the next 13 years embroiled in legal battles with Autoclutch owner Richard Hough, who fought to save the business he has described as his "life".

Last October, the longest-running planning dispute in Croydon's history came to an end when Mr Hough, 54, was evicted from the repair workshop in Station Road where he had worked since he was 12 years-old.

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Two months later, on December 23, Mr Groux and Mrs Drake both stepped down as directors of Greathall Limited.

The company's sole remaining director, Xhevat Lita, a building contractor based in Charlton, was appointed on November 1, 2013.

Two months before that appointment - as the dispute with Mr Hough rumbled on into its 11th year - Greathall lodged papers with Croydon Council that would have seen a large swathe of the Station Road site sold to Mr Lita's company Access Building Contractors for £450,000.

This sale agreement included the requirement for the site to be vacant it was transferred.

But this was subsequently withdrawn after it emerged the original transfer of sale with Railtrack stipulated that no part of the land could be sold for 20 years.

When approached by the Croydon Guardian, Mr Groux said his resignation as a director last December was a "management organisational issue" and he was still involved in the project as an "architectural advisor".

He said he had not received any payment from Greathall Ltd or Mr Lita upon resigning as director of the company, and questioned why it was "anybody's business".

He added: "I'm not saying whether I did or didn't.” Mr Groux then hung up the phone.

Ms Drake vehemently denied receiving any money upon her resignation, adding: "I'm not sure what your question is asking.

"I'm now nothing to do with the company."

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The site on Station Road this week

When it was pointed out that Ms Drake remained listed as Greathall's secretary on Companies House, she replied: "Well I shouldn't be."

Mr Groux is a former director of architectural firm Agenda 21, which lists the Railway Buildings site under under "residential and mixed use" projects.

He resigned as a director of Agenda 21 in September 2001, although briefly became a director again between November 2013 and May 2014 - being reappointed on the same day as Mr Lita was made a director of Greathall Ltd.

In a 2014 hearing at Croydon County Court to decide the fate of Mr Hough's repair workshop, Mr Groux suggested the 2013 sale agreement with Mr Lita had only been drawn up speculatively.

His lawyer, Alan Steynor, representing Greathall, denied the company sought simply "to make a quick buck."

On October 11, 2013, a month before Mr Lita was appointed as a director of Greathall, Mr Lita had registered a new company, Norwood Station Road Limited, with Companies House.

Since Mr Lita became the sole director of Greathall, the company has paid off four of five legal charges against the Station Road site, significantly shoring up the company's ownership of the land.

A new charge entitled to Lloyds Bank was registered on June 28.

Mr Lita's directorship of Greathall is not listed on his LinkedIn professional profile. He did not respond to requests for comment.

Since Mr Hough was evicted from his garage in October, work has begun in earnest on the site, despite a number of issues with planning conditions.

The mechanic, who is almost universally recognised in South Norwood, said he is still struggling to adjust to life after more than four decades spent at the garage.

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He said: “It’s like my life has stood still. The reason to get up in the morning was to go the garage.

"I didn't celebrate Christmas this year. I had nothing to celebrate.”

The search for new premises continues - but despite the challenges of the last 13 years, Mr Hough said he had no plans to move his business out of the area.

He said: "I was born here, I was educated here. This is my home town. If I was a weaker man, this would have killed me - but they're not breaking me.

“My story is about the community. It’s about the people.”

Got a story? Call the newsdesk on 020 8722 6388 or email daniel.omahony@newsquest.co.uk