The owners of Marsalforn’s Calypso Hotel have taken the Land Department to court over the unauthorised sale of part of their property to third parties, The Sunday Times of Malta has learnt.
The issue concerns a long-drawn-out saga over Triq is-Sajjied in Marsalforn, which since 1989 has been earmarked to be turned into a road.
It was never completed as there was no need for it, according to the hotel’s owners.
Co-owner Michael Caruana said although a stretch of land passing behind the Calypso Hotel had been planned to be a road, residents still have access to their homes from other roads.
While contesting how the projected road was included in the 1989 scheme, claiming it was done “behind everyone’s back”, Dr Caruana said only one resident was interested in the road being built, a developer who wants to build more apartments.
This is private property, no one can take it away from us
At the same time, Dr Caruana said it would have to be constructed on parts of his property already earmarked for the expansion of the hotel.
“This is private property and no one can take it away from us just because they want to build an unnecessary road,” he said.
Dr Caruana said that to add insult to injury, he found out by chance that in 2009 the Land Department decided to sell part of their property to a person who was insisting on building the new road.
“This is obscene,” an angry Dr Caruana said.
“How can the department sell our property to a third party without our knowledge?”
The dispute between the owners and George Sacco – a businessman and resident in the same road – has been going on for years in court.
The planning authority also got involved as it had ordered the hotel owners to dismantle a gate they erected to protect their property that blocked access across the road. Despite Mepa’s orders, the gate was not removed.
Mr Sacco had complained nothing has been done so far, despite promises by politicians that the issue would be addressed.