A woman yesterday won €50,000 in compensation for the expropriation of her flat in Cospicua, more than six times the figure that had been offered to her by the government.

The award was made by the Land Arbitration Board, which expressed puzzlement at the fact that the Commissioner of Lands had made her such a low offer.

Magistrate Giovanni Grixti heard that in June 2011, Jane Pentecost was served with a notice by the Commissioner offering her €8,432.33 by way of compensation for the expropriation of the flat she owned in Hannover Street.

Ms Pentecost refused the sum because her own architect had valued the flat as being worth €58,000. The compensation offered, she argued, did not even match the market value of a garage in the area.

The expropriation had taken place in 2005 when the Commissioner’s architects had valued the flat at Lm3,580, equivalent to €8,432.33.

The architects appointed by the arbitration board had later valued it at €42,000.

Magistrate Grixti said he was perplexed by the fact that the Commissioner had made such a low offer of compensation. This was important particularly in view of the fact that if Ms Pentecost had not replied to the offer within the legal time limit, the Commissioner’s offer would be deemed to have been accepted by her.

The Commissioner’s offer ought to have been realistic and fair from the start of the expropriation process, the magistrate said.

The board awarded Ms Pentecost €50,000 in compensation as six years had elapsed from the time of the expropriation to the Commissioner’s offer.