The former owners of a house adjacent to the Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valletta have launched court proceedings saying they were left €69,000 short of the amount promised when their property was expropriated.

Lilian Victoria Cassar, Josette Mizzi, Alfred Cassar and Sylvana Magrin filed a judicial protest against the Land Department and the conference centre claiming they had been guaranteed compensation of €300,000 for the building but the deal left them almost €70,000 out of pocket.

They said they had reached an agreement with the department and the centre in February 2013 for the expropriation of their property at 94, 95 Old Hospital Street, Valletta, for the place to serve a public purpose.

In line with a contract signed before a notary, they received €200,413 in cash as compensation and were given an apartment in Mediterranean Street, Valletta, supposedly valued at €100,000.

However, it turned out that the actual value of the apartment was almost €31,000.

This meant a shortfall of €69,000 in the amount promised to them for the expropriated property.

Lawyers David Camilleri and Joseph Gatt signed the protest.