Court orders couple to pay seamstress

A married couple was yesterday ordered to pay a seamstress over Lm900 after the Magistrates Court found there was no defect in the work she had supplied.

The judgment was delivered by Magistrate Michael Mallia in a case filed by Josianne Borg against Joseph Grech and Miriam Grech Bonett.

Ms Borg had requested the court to order the couple to pay her Lm932 being the balance of the price of curtains sewn by her and for curtain rails and other materials she supplied.

Her clients told the court, however, that the work supplied by Ms Borg had not been of the quality agreed upon.

The court heard that Ms Borg had been engaged to sew and install curtains and accessories, including rails, in the Grech household.

Ms Borg had met Ms Grech Bonett and they had gone together to buy the fabric for the curtains.

The Grechs had paid Ms Borg two payments on account but a dispute had arisen when Ms Borg had gone to hang the curtains in the Grech household.

The court-appointed expert concluded that there was no defect in the curtains, and recommended that the court upholds Ms Borg's writ.

Magistrate Mallia added that the Grechs had refused to pay the balance, but had retained, in their home, the majority of the work completed by Ms Borg.

Case law had established that when a purchaser complained of a defect in goods purchased, he could not retain the goods unless he paid for them in full.

The Grechs, said the court, ought to have deposited the curtains under the authority of the courts.

The court found in favour of Ms Borg and ordered Mr Grech and Ms Grech Bonett to pay her Lm932.