A Liechtenstein construction company has been ordered by a court to pay €13,800 to a Maltese firm after a 14-year legal dispute over structural defects at a Kappara villa.

The case goes back to 1991 when Valduz-registered Simonoff Holdings (which was later renamed Deodolo Holdings and re-registered in the British Virgin Islands) had commissioned Mangion, Mangion & Partners to supervise works at the aforementioned property.

Shortly after the completion of works in 1994, water started seeping through the roof and a number of cracks developed in various parts of the building. Furthermore, the walls became enveloped in mould.

Consequently, Simonoff Holdings refused to pay the €19,000 bill presented by the Maltese firm, blaming it for bad workmanship. The dispute dragged on and in 2002 the Mangion, Mangion & Partners sued Simonoff Holdings.

During proceedings, court-appointed experts said that the Maltese firm was partly to blame for the various defects.

However, Madam Justice Anna Felice said that Simonoff Holdings had not sued Mangion & Partners within the five-year time limit stipulated by law, and so the case had become time-barred.

Consequently, the court ordered Simonoff Holdings to pay the bill presented by the Maltese firm, but deducted expenses related to mechanical and planting works, saying such operations were outside the remit of the plaintiffs.