Not even the Prince of Darkness has enough mojo to overpower his local elected officials -- and now, Ozzy Osbourne is faced with more than $27,000 in bat removal fees.

As previously reported, Osbourne's plans to convert a barn on his property into an apartment hit a snag last year when evidence of owls and bats turned up in the building. All species of bat are protected in the U.K. under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, as well as the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations, and studies were mandated to determine whether Ozzy's surprise tenants had cleared out.

Now, reports the Daily Record, the findings are in, and they're potentially fairly expensive. Although Osbourne's been given the green light to proceed with his building plans, he'll need to "rehome" the bats first -- a process that's estimated to cost in the neighborhood of $27,400. He'll also need a license through the wildlife body Natural England, which will determine whether the bats can be moved.

All of which sounds like an unexpected bit of bother for a guy who just wanted to build some apartments on his property, but it's cheaper and less inconvenient than the alternative: The Daily Record goes on to note that failure to comply with laws protecting bats can result in a fine of roughly $7,600 per bat -- or a six-month jail term. Karmic retribution for Osbourne's previous alleged crimes against bats? Perhaps.

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