It is not clear why Mrs De Giovanni wants to see copies of the details of the property, but officials insist she has no legal right to do so.

Piero Nuccio, the lawyer acting for the couple, branded the case a shame and suggested it could sour the actress friendly relationship with her neighbour, whom she used to take fresh flowers.

The dispute centres on a 500-year-old building, once the home of a prince, which is surrounded by a fairytale stone wall and turrets.

Nestled in Puglia, Italy, less than a mile away from the Mediterranean, it is said to have native olive trees and quaint rose bushes in the sunkissed garden and a mature vineyard in the grounds.

The property came to the publics attention three years ago, when photographs of Dame Helen in a striking red bikini on the nearby beach emerged.

Originally described as tumbledown and uninhabitable, the home has undergone a transformation in the hands of the couple, who invested more than a quarter of a million pounds restoring it to its former glory.

Now sporting solar panels for heating and hot water, the property is said to have eco-friendly credentials as well as maintaining its traditional features, including enormous fire places and a dungeon.

One such improvement has been the complete restoration of a wall adjacent to Mrs De Giovannis property, funded by Dame Helen and her husband at a cost of 30,000.

Though Mrs De Giovanni has already seen plans for the shared wall, she has now accused the local council of failing to hand over official documents of the rest of the home.

A spokesman for the local council said: We are aware of the complaint but we are adamant that we have done nothing wrong and it is now up to the prosecutor to decide what happens next.

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Helen Mirren's holiday home in Italian council planning row

30-03-2012 07:50 Jeff shows us the interior of this project starting in the living room. The walls were stripped of their dark wood paneling and replaced with some clean drywall. Next, the carpet was ripped up and locally manufactured ash hardwood flooring was installed. Finally, the wall separating the living room and kitchen was cut down to make room for a snack bar and open up the space.

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Dexter Builders Chelsea Remodeling Project- Living Room - Video

When I remodeled my last home I was confronted with more options than I ever thought existed. There were hundreds of options for cabinet handles alone. I was trying to balance between what I wanted, what I could afford and what would provide me the best return on my money. Thankfully the contractor was a friend of mine who gave me the tip to make my home liveable for me first and worry about potential resale later; after all, I had no intention at the time of ever selling.

Styles change and with it the best return on your remodeling money changes. To that end I made some changes that saved me a great deal of money at the time and when I did sell ended up giving me a great return on my investment.

I chose a walk-in pantry over wall cabinets. Cabinets are incredible expensive. While I am tall I'm not tall enough to reach the back of the top cabinet height in my kitchen. Plus I had 3 external walls. I choose windows for the walls and lower cabinets. A walk in pantry is much more accessible, keeps everything more organized and in thousands less expensive to build.

I frequently take 2 showers a day, especially in summer. I generally only take a bath in winter and then only now and then. A shower is simply faster; I can be in and out in the time it takes the tub to fill. So when I remodeled the bathroom I opted for a large walk-in shower instead of a tub. There is another bathroom with a tub so the house still has one.

I added windows to the office. Well the previous owners used the room as a dining room, but with the size of the kitchen and the informality of my life, I used the former dining room for an office. The only problem was that it had only one very small window. It also had a great view of the front garden. So I had a huge picture window installed and the only 30inch window taken out. I flanked the new window with built in bookshelves and the room looked great. I went from needing 2 lights on during the day to work to being able to leave the light off until sunset. It was great.

The single most important decision I made was not to spend money I didn't have. I didn't have the cash for granite countertops so I didn't get them. I saw no reason to go into debt to remodel. I paid cash for all of it. When the job was complete I was able to enjoy the house without worrying about my credit card balance. I had budgeted $25,000 for the renovations, $15,000 for the kitchen and $10,000 for the bathroom. The kitchen ended up costing me $18,000 and the bathroom cost $8,000. I was able to have the window in the office expanded for $3,000. This project wouldn't have been done at the time if it hadn't been for the savings on the other projects. Overall I added $50,000 value to my house. Not a bad return on my investment.

When you remodel your home make sure your first priority is it's suitability for you and your family and not some mythical potential buyer from the future. If you find that the cost of your remodel exceeds more than 50% of your home's current market value you might want to consider the advice my father gave me for that situation: move!

*Note: This was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Do you have a personal finance story that you'd like to share? Sign up with the Yahoo! Contributor Network to start publishing your own finance articles.

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First Person: Remodeling My Home on a Budget

JEFFERSONVILLE One person has been arrested and three more are at-large after a Jeffersonville woman and her 2-year-old child were held at knifepoint and robbed in November.

Sondra Bethe, 36, was charged this week in Clark Circuit Court No. 4 with conspiracy to commit robbery and robbery [aiding], both class A felonies.

According to the probable-cause affidavit, Bethe went to a womans apartment and was allowed in, because the two knew each other. The woman didnt know Bethe had three men with her, until after she let her in and they followed. The affidavit said the men were asking the woman where the father of her child was, because they claimed he had robbed them. She said he didnt live with her, and she didnt know where he was.

The situation quickly escalated, court records show. The victim told police that one of the men held a knife to her throat and hit her. Another one hit her multiple times. Her boyfriend, who was also there, attempted to help, but was hit, so he ran to get help. After that, one of the men held the knife to the 2-year-old child, threatening to kill the woman and her child.

The woman was stabbed in the hand as she fought for the knife to protect her child. Her boyfriend returned with $80 and gave it to the men. The men also took the womans Medicaid and food stamp cards.

A neighbor, who called 911 after the victims boyfriend came to him for help, also got cut from the knife. Another neighbor also came to assist, at which point the men and Bethe left in a gray Saab with Kentucky plates, according to court records.

The woman was taken to the hospital and treated for various injuries. The woman had a stab wound to her hand, cuts on her arm, a missing tooth, and a busted lip and eye with extensive swelling. Her child was not injured.

According to the affidavit, Bethe was questioned in December about her involvement. Bethe told police that she had been walking back from the Lighthouse Restaurant & Lounge when the men forced her into the car and drove to the victims apartment. She said she left after they arrived and didnt witness anything.

Bethe is being held on $25,000 cash-only bond. Her trial has been set for August.

Jeffersonville Police Department Detective Todd Hollis said the case is still under investigation. If anyone has any information about this case, they are asked to call 812-218-TIPS (8477). Callers can remain anonymous.

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One arrested, three at-large for Jeffersonville robbery

As a child, Dr. Seuss gave me endless hours of entertainment, silly jokes and the perfect bedtime story. Now, as a 21-year-old, Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment has managed to do almost the same thing with their new feature film adapted from the Dr. Seuss classic, The Lorax. The book, originally published in 1971, opened in 3-D format on March 2, on what would have been Dr. Seuss 108th birthday.

While the movie makes necessary adaptations, the messages from the simple childrens book are still abundantly clear throughout and the producers make every effort to captivate the audience with Seuss traditional humor and joy that we grew up reciting.

The Lorax opened to a surprisingly successful start, grossing more money on opening day than any other Dr. Seuss film, including 2000s widely popular How the Grinch Stole Christmas. It grossed $121.9 million between its opening and second weekend.

The feature film explores the trials and tribulations of a 12-year-old boy named Ted who is searching for the love of the girl of his dreams, who he finds in Audrey. In order to do this, he must find a Truffula Tree, as this is the only way to capture Audrey, heart. It is through the Lorax, and his own personal story, that this can be accomplished. Along the way the boy experiences different situations from both the book and the imagination of the studio.

The book, in its original form, was quite different from previous work by Dr. Seuss, which was author Ted Geisels pseudonym. It veered away from his traditional color scheme and used his wife, Audrey, as both a character and as the books inspiration. Audrey Geisel is in fact one of the three executive producers of the film, along with Ken Daurio and Cinco Paul, allowing Dr. Seuss original intentions to shine despite his death.

In order to create a full-length movie out of a short book, the storyline was embellished. These additions both maintained the books legacy and Dr. Seuss original work and sparked new interest for viewers. Through the 3-D technology, the films director, Chris Renaud, accurately brings to life the creatures and environment that had previously been confined to pages and individual imaginations without compromising the storys integrity.

Danny DeVito lends his voice to The Lorax in a wonderful depiction that leaves the audience feeling as though the Lorax is indeed real. The movie also boasts the voices of Hollywood stars such as Ed Helms, Zac Efron, Taylor Swift and Betty White. Through their performance, the audience is thrown into a magical world with the quality animation that viewers have come to expect after the studios impeccable and cutting edge production of Despicable Me.

The animated film does raise a few questions regarding the song choices, and there is an unexpected dark side even with the films PG rating. It is completely animated, and unlike the other recently released Dr. Seuss film The Cat in the Hat, does not leave the audience feeling uncomfortable or questioning Mike Meyers performance.

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‘Lorax’ warms audience’s hearts

Running a small business is second-nature to "old" pros like me and my husband. Even with our combined experience of two decades we face considerable challenges. The three biggest challenges facing my small business today are cash flow timing, client diversification and independent staffing. These are issues we have struggled with, and continue to struggle with, as we grow.

Our main small business is a construction and renovation business. Supplies and payroll cost us a big chunk of change. The responsibility of having the cash flow that we need creates a constant source of mental and fiscal strain for the business. Cash flow timing is problematic especially when clients fail to pay in a timely fashion. Tapping back up funds becomes a necessity when jobs grow unexpectedly or when problems arise. An extra $1000 disappears quickly with licensing, permits and hidden costs.

The second largest challenge facing our small business is client diversification. It is easy to become depend on a large client willing to spend on improvement projects. We welcome repeat work and additions to current projects but working these projects solely limits the scope of our small business. During these times, it appears that we are a thriving renovation company, when in fact, we become mere subcontractors. Diversifying the client list makes our business stronger; less dependent than leaning entirely on a single client. Also, some repeat clients tend to "hold you over a barrel" when they offer consistent work. It's not unusual for a customer to ask for a discount when this occurs. There's no discounting payroll!

Another big challenge we face concerns our staffing. We need motivated staffing. We've been fortunate over the years to have skilled labor, even brilliant contractors in our company. However, largely, the old adage is true - good help is hard to find! Once my husband's work truck leaves the crew on the job site, it's a catch 52. He could return to find the work done or not. I don't know if it's lack of motivation or lack of pride but there's definitely a lack in the employee pool. This despite of completion bonuses and competitive pay. This big challenge must be met and conquered to meet the workload required to operating this small business.

*Note: This was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Do you have a small business story that you'd like to share? Sign up with the Yahoo! Contributor Network to start publishing your own finance articles.

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First Person: My Small Business Is Still Giving Raises

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First Person: I Never Rehire Employees I've Fired

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First Person: The 3 Biggest Challenges Facing Small Businesses

The Designer: Sharon L. Sherman, ASID, Thyme & Place Design, Wyckoff (thymeandplacedesign.com)

PHOTO BY PETER RYMWID ARCHITECTURAL PHOTOGRAPHY

Designer Sharon L. Sherman reconfigured this kitchen to give it more natural light and storage and a better 'traffic pattern.'

The Challenge: This kitchen has three doorways, one on each wall, which had to remain. One opens to the dining room. Another serves as the entrance to a back hallway with a double staircase leading down to the garage and up to the master bedroom. On the third wall, there is a wide archway that opens onto the family room. We needed to work around these obstacles to create a kitchen that has some natural light, lots of storage space, and a traffic pattern that accommodates all the doorways. All this, plus the client wanted an island.

The Solution: The center island, designed as the hub of the kitchen, is key to meeting all the client's needs. The dishwasher and sink, along with a few storage drawers, are located on one side of the island. The adjacent side contains cabinets and more drawers. While the island's marble top has two straight and one curved edge, the base underneath is a cleverly engineered triangle with niches along one side. This "step in" design makes it possible to accommodate up to four stools. The result is plenty of walk-around space so that everything, including doorways, is accessible.

With the sink and dishwasher located in the island, the remaining three walls can be devoted to appliances and more storage: a double oven with storage above and below on one wall; a side-by-side, built-in refrigerator next to the archway into the family room; and the cooktop, microwave, custom backsplash and multiple cabinets along the remaining wall.

The fourth wall was removed, so the kitchen now opens onto a breakfast room with French doors that flood the space with daylight.

The New Jersey Chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) sponsors a referral service for consumers interested in obtaining the services of qualified professional interior designers. For more information, visit the Find a Designer section of http://www.njasid.org.

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Designed for Living: Remodeling a kitchen

If you're ever looking to take on a huge project, volunteer to help someone empty -- and then refill -- all of her kitchen cabinets. Maybe it's part of a kitchen remodeling. Maybe it's a move to a new home. This time of year, it might be a stab at spring cleaning.

Any way you look at it, it's a big mess -- and one that, while you're in the middle of it, feels as if it will never, ever end.

It might even be tougher than tackling your own kitchen -- which is no picnic.

"What's this?" you'll ask, holding up some alien gadget.

"Have you seen the bottom to this lid?" "Where do you want me to put this?" "What in the world do you use this for?"

The project is nearly complete, thankfully. We have cut the last piece of shelf liner. Hand-washed and dried the last serving bowl. Folded up the step stool. Whew.

This is not the first time I have helped someone do this. Nor do I want to do it again anytime soon.

Never being one to take on such tasks quietly, I have been reminded of -- and even learned -- a few things. For example:

And they match. Did I mention that?

Or maybe even convince the homeowner to donate an extra set of dishes she no longer uses.

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Cleaning the kitchen, mug by mug

by Peter Corbett - Mar. 30, 2012 01:25 PM The Republic | azcentral.com

A Northeast Valley Episcopal church plans to resurrect the shell of an unfinished office building in north Scottsdale and transform it into a house of worship.

If all goes well, the Episcopal Church of the Nativity will hold services by Christmas in its new church at 22405 N. Miller Road, which is southeast of the former Rawhide theme park.

A monument to the recession, the foundation and walls of the 24,500-square-foot two-story building have been an eyesore in the Sonoran Hills neighborhood.

"It will be a wonderful home for the Christmas celebration," the Rev. Susan Snook said. "We're excited about being part of that neighborhood."

The Episcopal Church of the Nativity, like other commercial and residential buyers, has found a silver lining in the real-estate collapse of four years ago with far more affordable prices for property in Scottsdale.

The church paid $700,000 for the unfinished building, Snook said.

A developer started construction on the office building in 2007, but it came to a halt after the foundation and walls were erected, and the property went into foreclosure.

"It was bad timing on their part, but it turned out to be good fortune for us," said George Hartz, a DC Ranch resident who is a church board member.

The 7.6-acre property includes three other office-condo buildings of 8,000 square feet and one of 10,000 square feet, said Jason Hersker, a senior associate with Capital Asset Management, the company marketing the property.

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Building's shell in north Scottsdale to be resurrected as church

The majority of the 1,500 people who died when the RMS Titanic sank were 3rd class passengers and members of the crew. Many researchers attribute the disproportionate loss of life to the liners design, which imposed some restrictions on 3rd class passengers. However, further investigation showed that the causes were much more prosaic.

Some passengers were neglected

Third-class and crew cabins were located in the hold, while promenade areas were on lower decks and in the quarter. They were separated from the promenade decks for wealthier passengers by special partitions staircases leading to upper decks had metal gates, the keys to which were kept by stewards. Some sources claim that these partitions were required by American immigration laws at the time.

Some 3rd class cabins were located at or below the waterline. This is why 3rd class passengers were the first to feel the collision with the iceberg.

Water started flooding many cabins right after the crash. People rushed to the corridor, trying to get to higher ground, but the majority of them never made it.

After the collision the crew was busy saving 1st and 2nd class passengers, leaving people in the lower decks to their own devices.

This approach reflected the spirit of the times in the early 20th century it was considered inappropriate to conceal the differing attitudes to rich and poor. Considering that most 3rd class passengers were immigrants seeking jobs in America, it wouldnt have even occurred to the crew to act otherwise.

Locked or not?

The first inquiry into the cause of the Titanic crash was opened in Washington in the days after the tragedy. Investigators paid much attention to the fate of 3rd class passengers. The main question was whether exits from lower decks were locked or not.

All interrogated crew members insisted unanimously that there were no restrictions for 3rd class passengers, and that they were not barred from the boat-handling deck. However, some passengers contradicted this claim in their testimony.

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Majority of Titanic Dead Were 3rd Class: Ill Fate or Ill Will?