A FORMER Goldman Sachs banker is facing a huge legal bill after neighbours sued her over claims a luxury flat refurbishment left their homes covered in dust.
Leda Sara was dragged to court by Samuel and Jennifer Wagner, who said the renovation of her £1.6million West London apartment caused chaos in their home.
The townhouse in Lennox Gardens where Samuel Wagner and his wife Jennifer and upstairs neighbour Leda Sara owned flats Credit: Champion News Service
Samuel and Jennifer Wagner outside the Mayors and City County Court Credit: Champion News Service
The couple claimed building work in the exclusive Lennox Gardens property left cracks in their ceilings, filled their home with dust and even stopped them hanging washing indoors.
They also said leaks from the flat above later caused major water damage, with one of their ceilings eventually collapsing.
Now a judge has ruled largely in the Wagners’ favour after a trial at Mayor’s and City County Court.
Judge Stephen Hellman awarded the couple more than £41,000 in damages and ordered Ms Sara to pay 80 per cent of their legal costs.
Leda Sara outside the Mayors and City County Court Credit: Champion News Service
A judge ruled largely in the Wagners’ favour after a trial Credit: Champion News Service
She must hand over £91,000 upfront towards a total legal bill estimated at around £150,000, on top of paying her own lawyers.
The court heard Ms Sara, now an interior designer and estate agent for wealthy clients, bought the flat above the Wagners in 2014 and stripped it back to a “shell”.
Mr Wagner, a Swedish property firm boss, told the court the works created “extraordinary” and “relentless” dust which entered their flat through cracks, windows and communal areas.
He said the disruption went on for years and made life miserable for the couple.
The court heard the work had initially been carried out without the necessary approval from the building’s freeholder, leading to a lengthy delay before work resumed in 2018.
Even then, the refurbishment overran beyond the eight-month limit set out in the licence agreement and was not signed off until April 2019.
The Wagners said living beneath the stripped-out flat made it difficult to keep warm and claimed pigeons began roosting in the empty property above.
They also told the court they were forced to move out of their flat three separate times during the ordeal.
Ms Sara denied responsibility for the leaks and argued she should not be blamed for the actions of contractors working on the property.
Judge Hellman cleared her over the leaks, ruling she had taken reasonable steps after problems were reported and had not acted as the project manager for the works.
He also dismissed the couple’s claim that a failed sale of their flat had cost them £60,000.
But the judge ruled Ms Sara was responsible for the excessive delays and disruption caused by the drawn-out refurbishment.
He said the had been subjected to “annoyance, inconvenience, discomfort and anxiety” because the works were not completed within a reasonable time.
In his ruling, the judge said: “In my judgement, the works were not completed within a reasonable period and therefore became a nuisance.
“They began in July-August 2014, but paused because they were in breach of the covenant in the defendant’s lease not to make alterations.
“The defendant should have obtained a licence before the works commenced. Had she done so, no pause would have been necessary.
“During the pause, the incomplete state of the works was a nuisance.
“It was one for which the defendant was directly responsible, as it was her responsibility to comply with the terms of her lease and obtain necessary authority from the landlord.”
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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