The eviction hearing between a deputy and the landlord of his Market Square café continued in Guernsey’s courts yesterday.
The plaintiff, McAuley (Market Buildings) Ltd, allege that Deputy Andrew Taylor, Vice-President of the Development & Planning Authority, failed to comply with the lease for his Market Street café, and failed to comply with an eviction notice served in November 2022.
Their argument is that he made unapproved alterations to the building - such as removing kitchen facilities and a ventilation system - and failed to maintain or repair aspects of the property as required such as roof slates, internal decorations, and the guttering.
Charles McHugh, a director of McAuley Ltd, said Deputy Taylor had “ripped the building apart” and that “these were not minor matters” during cross-examination.
“As far as I’m concerned you were the tenant from hell. I just wanted to be away from you.”
But Deputy Taylor rejected the allegations, saying the necessary remedial works were minimal and totalled just a few thousand pounds.
He said the issues didn’t “merit an eviction notice” in his conclusion.
“The handling of this by the landlord has been terrible and I would describe it, quite frankly, as commercially unethical.”
A judgement will be handed down by Deputy Bailiff Jessica Roland on the afternoon of either Wednesday 12 or Thursday 13 June.
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