A High Court judge in the United Kingdom, has ruled that a couple who purchased a £32.5m mansion can return the property and receive most of their money back after discovering a ‘severe moth infestation’.
Iya Patarkatsishvili and Yevhen Hunyak took legal action against William Woodward-Fisher, the seller of Horbury Villa in west London, for failing to disclose the infestation during pre-contract inquiries.
The judge agreed that Mr. Woodward-Fisher had made “fraudulent misrepresentations” by claiming he was unaware of any vermin problems or hidden defects in the house.
After moving into the Ladbroke Grove property in May 2019, Ms. Patarkatsishvili, 41, and Dr. Hunyak, 51, began finding moths in unusual places, such as their wine glasses, toothbrushes, and clothing.
Many of their clothes were damaged beyond repair and had to be discarded, the court heard.
Evidence presented at the hearing revealed that pest control companies had documented a serious moth infestation in the property’s insulation on at least two occasions before the sale.
Mr. Woodward-Fisher, 68, defended himself by stating he had been advised that moths were not considered vermin.
Mr. Justice Fancourt ruled that the couple was entitled to a refund of a substantial portion of the £32.5m purchase price, with a deduction for the period they had occupied the house.
Additionally, the couple was awarded significant compensation, including stamp duty land tax, all expenses incurred in their efforts to eradicate the moths, and £15,000 for the ruined clothes.
Ms. Patarkatsishvili, a theatre director, is the daughter of the late Georgian billionaire Badri Patarkatsishvili, who was Georgia’s richest man before his sudden death in Surrey in 2008 at the age of 52.
At the time, Forbes valued his fortune at $12bn (£9.69bn). After his passing, half of his wealth was designated for his wife, while the rest was divided among his children and mother.
By 2012, the family’s collective assets were reported to be worth at least £2.4bn, according to the Financial Times.
Dr. Hunyak, on the other hand, is a well-known figure in the dental industry as the founder of a private children’s dental group in west London.
