[WATCH] Cowboy construction brings misery to elderly couple

Joseph Galea, 71 and his wife, 69, have told MaltaToday of the distress brought about by the damage caused to their ground floor home when the property above theirs was knocked down to be converted into a number of flats.

The construction has now resulted in extensive damage to their property, exacerbated by recent heavy rain.

Speaking to Galea in the verandah outside his home in Triq il-Bwieraq, Birkirkara, he explained how the second-floor maisonette on top of his home was demolished in May to make way for the construction of an additional four storeys. 

The developer of the project is the former Nationalist MP Philip Mifsud, who is also the architect responsible for the construction.

As work on the first storey started, damage began to appear in areas of Galea’s home, with cracks and paint chips becoming visible in the ceiling and walls throughout the corridor and in some of the rooms.

By the beginning of August, Galea informed the Building Regulation Office (BRO) as well as Mifsud himself about the damage to his property.

He tried also to seek assistance from the Planning Authority, but they informed him that their role was limited to issuing the planning permit for the project.

He claimed that work stopped abruptly on September 15, with the builder not returning to the site since, leaving the first storey only partially constructed.

The situation was compounded when a storm hit Malta towards the end of September and another in the first week of October. Copious amounts of water seeped through the ceilings and down the walls of Galea’s property, causing significant damage to the paint and fixtures.

“As the heavy rain fell, you needed an umbrella to stand in certain areas of the hall,” Galea said. “My wife and I collected three basins full of water mixed with cement from that area alone, and spent the nights of the storms mopping the floors and placing towels to soak up the water. This is not to mention all the buckets we repeatedly filled to the brim – so much so that we ran out of buckets.”

This proved to be a very strenuous task for the elderly couple, leaving them exhausted. “We cannot cope with this any more,” they said.

Even after the water dried, bubbles were evident beneath several sections of paint, and there were stains across various walls.

Water seeped dangerously close to electrical fixtures and wires, including chandeliers and socket outlets. “My wife had a slight electric shock when she turned on one of the wall switches,” recounted Galea, as he showed us several power sockets covered in tape. 

Water trails were also noticeable along the electrical line leading to a chandelier.

The door of one of the bedrooms was substantially damaged by the water, with the wood of the doorframe swelling, and the door ending unable to be closed properly.

Both the BRO and Mifsud were kept informed, the latter through a number of calls and letters, on what was happening because of the rain. 

Mifsud visited the property a few days after the September storm and said he would be taking measures to complete work on the first storey and repair the damage done to Galea’s property. To date, nothing has been done. Asked why construction had halted, the architect explained that the builder had to move on to another project.

BRO officials also came to the property after the October storm and inspected the damage.

“This construction destroyed our place, and although Mifsud should have taken responsibility for all that happened, he failed to do so. I never imagined that our home would be damaged to this extent,” Galea said, as he told us that an architect from the same firm as Mifsud had drawn up a condition report prior to the commencement of the works, which should be able to show that none of the damage was present before demolition and building started.”

Since Mifsud’s visit in September, attempts to contact him have repeatedly failed, he said. Emails and calls do not appear to be going through, and the last registered letter sent to the architect was not delivered, leaving Galea suspecting that the architect was trying to avoid him.

“I am getting the impression that he has tried to avoid contact with me,” Galea remarked, as he explained that recent emails, text messages and calls did not go through, and the last registered letter he sent was not delivered.

An architect he appointed privately also emailed Mifsud requesting the situation be remedied before the next rain, but to no avail. 

Visibly upset, Galea and his wife expressed their frustration at having seemingly reached a desperate point where they cannot do anything more to remedy their situation.

Philip Mifsud’s reaction

Philip Mifsud, who is both architect and developer of the project, denied that the work had at any point stopped, and said that it was ongoing.

“Concrete work was done on the top (roof) of Galea’s maisonette, and, because of the nature of such work and the material used, some time had to pass before work on the next stage proceeded,” he said.

That meant it was not possible to proceed immediately, or within a matter of a few days, as the material had to set.

“It was inevitable that work had to pause for a period of time. There was work down late this week in the common parts, and bricks to carry on with the building work, arrived on Friday. Work is in progress,” he claimed.

Mifsud said that contractors tend to move between building jobs, as had happened in this case. “I assured Mr Galea that I will make good for any damage caused by the ongoing work,” acknowledging that water had entered into the home. 

He also explained that the situation had been already partially remedied as work had been done to prevent more water from entering the property.

Claims that Mifsud had at any time not answered Galea’s attempts at contacting him were also disputed. “I always replied to every email I received from him, and never refused any registered letter which I was notified of.”