🚀 IT Engineer Sues Newport City Council Over Lost Bitcoin Hard Drive
#ITEngineer #NewportCityCouncil #Bitcoin #Lawsuit #HardDrive #Crypto #BTC #Landfill #EnvironmentalConcerns #LegalBattle
According to Cointelegraph, James Howells, an IT engineer from Newport, is suing Newport City Council in the United Kingdom for 495 million British pounds (around $647 million) in damages after accidentally discarding a hard drive containing 8,000 Bitcoin.
Howells has made numerous attempts to retrieve the drive from the local landfill but has met resistance from the council, which has repeatedly denied his requests to excavate the site. He mistakenly threw out the hard drive containing Bitcoin (BTC) in 2013 during a household clearout, now worth almost half a billion pounds.
Howells has attempted to recover the lost hard drive for over a decade after mistakenly placing it in a bin liner, which ended up in a recycling center. In 2013, the value of his 8,000 BTC was around 1 million pounds (around $1.3 million). Howells has assembled a team of legal experts to file the court claim, which is set to be heard in December.
Despite Howells’ offering to give the council 10% of the recovered BTC value if the hard drive is found, Newport City Council has consistently opposed the excavation request, citing environmental concerns. The landfill in question has been flagged for breaches of its environmental permit, including elevated levels of asbestos, arsenic, and methane. The council argues that digging up the site could harm the surrounding area and claims its operation follows strict monitoring protocols.
In 2022, Howells reportedly pitched an $11 million idea to locate and recover the lost hard drive, potentially surrounded by 110,000 tonnes of garbage. The plan is active and would involve no cost to the council. Still, Newport City Council remains firm in its decision to refuse, questioning the legality and feasibility of Howells’ claims.#ITEngineer #NewportCityCouncil #Bitcoin #Lawsuit #HardDrive #Crypto #BTC #Landfill #EnvironmentalConcerns #LegalBattle
🚀 IT Engineer Loses Legal Battle Over $770 Million Bitcoin Hard Drive
#ITEngineer #Bitcoin #LegalBattle #HardDrive #Newport #Cointelegraph #EnvironmentalRegulations #JudgeKeyser #Landfill #MinedBitcoin #Cryptocurrency #BitcoinSurge #FinancialNews #BTC
According to Cointelegraph, James Howells, an IT engineer from Newport, Wales, has lost his legal battle to retrieve a hard drive containing Bitcoin valued at over $770 million. The hard drive, which holds Bitcoin mined in 2009, was accidentally discarded in a landfill. However, Howells has been denied access to the site by the Newport City Council due to environmental regulations.
In a recent development, Judge Keyser, the Circuit Commercial Judge for Wales, dismissed Howells' legal case that sought permission to access the Newport landfill to recover the hard drive. The judge stated that the case had "no realistic prospect" of success if it proceeded to a full trial, as reported by the BBC on January 9.
Since 2013, Howells has persistently requested access to the landfill, even offering a portion of the Bitcoin's value to the council if the hard drive were to be found. His case attracted increased attention in 2024, coinciding with Bitcoin's historic surge to $100,000, which resulted in over 130% returns for the year. Cointelegraph has reached out to Howells for further comments on the situation.#ITEngineer #Bitcoin #LegalBattle #HardDrive #Newport #Cointelegraph #EnvironmentalRegulations #JudgeKeyser #Landfill #MinedBitcoin #Cryptocurrency #BitcoinSurge #FinancialNews #BTC
🚀 IT Engineer's Lost Bitcoin Hard Drive Remains Unrecoverable As Landfill Closure Approaches
#Bitcoin #HardDrive #Landfill #Newport #ITEngineer #SolarPower #ElectricVehicles #JamesHowells #CityCouncil #TechNews #BTC
According to Odaily, an IT engineer named James Howells inadvertently discarded a hard drive containing 7,500 bitcoins, now valued at approximately $750 million or £620 million, in a landfill located in Newport, Wales. The landfill is scheduled for closure between 2025 and 2026. Howells' attempts to sue the city council for access to the site or compensation have been unsuccessful. The city council plans to close the landfill, which has been in use since the early 2000s, and repurpose part of the land for a solar power facility. This initiative aims to support the city's growing fleet of electric garbage trucks, as they transition away from diesel vehicles.#Bitcoin #HardDrive #Landfill #Newport #ITEngineer #SolarPower #ElectricVehicles #JamesHowells #CityCouncil #TechNews #BTC