A man who lives in a house which had been inherited by former Prime Minister Dom Mintoff has been ordered by the court to vacate the property within three months.

The court ruled this morning that Mr Mintoff and his relatives had their rights breached when the house was requisitioned for social housing 25 years ago.

It ordered the man occupying the house to move out and the director of Social Housing to pay the owners €7,537 in compensation.

The owners, including Mr Mintoff, filed their constitutional application against the director of Social Housing, the Attorney General and tenant Leo Leyland in May 2007.

They told the court they had inherited a house, in Nazzarene Street, Paola.

They rented out for 17 years in 1962 to a certain James Sauness who, in 1979, passed on the remaining years of the lease to Charles Cassar. He paid an annual rent of Lm86.45.

The Housing Department requisitioned the house 1986 (when Labour was in government) and the property was given to Dolores Leyland who was not deemed homeless.

In 2002, the director recognised Leo Leyland as the person occupying the house. The owners objected.

The owners claimed that Mr Leyland was thinking of carrying out works on the house and building a room without their permission.

They said that in February last year they were informed that the property was derequisitioned and they were offered a cheque of €4,507 in compensation.

They refused the cheque as they felt the amount did not reflect current market prices and the damages they had suffered and they asked the court to declare that the requisition order, which had been lifted, had breached their fundamental rights.