Judge Halts Man’s 11-Year Search for $765M in Bitcoin in Landfill
A recent ruling marked the end of an 11-year quest for James Howells, who hoped to recover a hard drive containing access to thousands of bitcoins that was mistakenly discarded in a landfill back in 2013. At the time, the value of the bitcoins was around $7.5 million, based on a bitcoin price of $1,000. However, with the current price exceeding $100,000 per bitcoin, those 8,000 bitcoins could now be worth a whopping $765 million.
After years of legal battles, a British judge sided with the landfill authorities, stating that excavating the landfill to find the hard drive could pose serious environmental and health risks to the community. The judge cited the Control of Pollution Act of 1974, which dictates that anything deposited at a landfill becomes the property of the landfill authority.
According to the judge, Howells had no realistic chance of success in recovering the hard drive, and the six-year statute of limitations prevented him from pursuing legal actions after the incident in 2013. Despite Howells’ claims that he was willing to share the proceeds from the bitcoins, he expressed frustration at not having the opportunity to present his case fully in a trial.
The city council refused Howells’ requests to access the landfill, citing potential environmental hazards and safety risks associated with excavation. The ruling emphasized that the case was mainly about ownership rights of the hard drive, rather than the actual content it contained.
Howells, who has been fighting for years to overturn the decision to deny his access to the landfill, expressed disappointment and disbelief at the ruling, stating that it had taken everything from him with no chance for justice or explanation. He emphasized that his intentions were not driven by greed but a desire to retrieve what he believed was rightfully his.
In this case, the legal system’s interpretation of ownership rights and the limitations of individuals’ access to waste disposal facilities have proven to be significant hurdles for Howells in his pursuit of the lost bitcoins. Despite his efforts to seek justice and recover his lost fortune, the reality of landfill ownership and environmental protection laws have ultimately worked against him.
