Couple win refund after buying £32m moth-infested London mansion Iya Patarkatsishvili and Dr Yevhen Hunyak sued property developer over infestation that ruined wine and clothes.
Appearing for the developer, Jonathan Seitler KC said Woodward-Fisher had been honest when dealing with the inquiry about possible previous “vermin infestation”, having told his solicitor that the property had experienced problems with moths only to be assured that “moths were not vermin and therefore not relevant to this inquiry”.
On Monday, high court judge Mr Justice Fancourt ruled that Woodward-Fisher, an elite property developer, had given “false” answers about the state of the property in west London and failed “honestly to disclose” the “serious infestation”.
Chris Webber, of Squire Patton Boggs, the firm that represented the couple, said: “[The couple] hope the case will serve as a warning to unscrupulous property developers who might seek to take advantage of buyer beware to sell properties by concealing known defects.”.
John McGhee KC, representing the couple in court, said at the peak of the infestation, Hunyak was swatting about 100 of the insects daily.
