Marbella slaps Novak Djokovic with €10,000 fine

Marbella’s glitterati is everywhere, and you never know who you might bump into. All of them are as vulnerable as anyone to legal infractions. And while a €10,000 fine might break the back of most, it is water off a duck’s back to others.

Novak Djokovic may be an example. The Serbian tennis player is estimated to have a net worth of $240 million. His homes are located in Belgrade, Monte Carlo Miami, New York City and Marbella. So, why did Marbella council just slap a €10,000 fine on him?

Novak Djokovic recently announced that he would be returning to the Mutua Madrid Open following three years of absence due to injury. However, he has made headlines for different reasons. Marbella Council has slapped the world-renowned athlete with a fine for carrying out unlicensed renovations on his luxurious mansion in Marbs, valued at over €10 million.

Djokovic’s Sierra Blanca mansion wins him €10,000 fine

After it was revealed that Djokovic’s builders had been allowed to enter the property without the required permits, the dispute became a legal one. According to the Andalusian Land Law (LISTA), the council opened a case against him, imposing an initial fine of €5,000. Djokovic was fined after he failed to legalise renovations by the two-month deadline set out in law. The council has given him two extra months to correct some of the work that was already done, and to restore the property in accordance with urban planning regulations.

The local laws on height, floor number, and distance between boundaries are violated by parts of the remodeling, some of which have been completed, while others are still in the planning stages. Djokovic will have to remove certain parts that are already completed, such as a parking garage in the basement and a porch. They warned that failures to resolve these issues would lead to additional action, such as up to 12 successive fines aimed at restoring legal form and undoing unauthorised changes.

Djokovic’s architectural ambitions are not new. This is the second €5,000 fine he has received for the same offence. The tennis star’s preparation for his comeback is being distracted by this off-court spat.