A former Goldman Sachs banker is being sued for over £100,000 by her millionaire neighbours in Knightsbridge, London, after claims that a leaking shower caused their ceiling to collapse. Swedish property firm boss Samuel Wagner and his wife Jennifer allege that 'nuisance and negligence relating to leaks' from the upstairs flat, owned by Leda Sara, forced them to vacate their £1.4 million home on three occasions and left them with substantial repair bills.
Ms Sara, who bought her apartment in the exclusive Lennox Gardens for £1.6 million in 2014, gutted and renovated the property before letting it out. The Wagners claim that multiple leaks, as well as 'excessive heat loss and vermin...dust and rubbish deposits' during the renovation, caused nuisance and forced them into rented accommodation three times. They also assert that delays in certifying the leaks were fixed caused the sale of their flat to fall through, costing them £60,000.
Ms Sara, 50, denies liability, blaming the contractors who carried out the renovations. She is also disputing the amounts claimed by the Wagners. The case is being heard at the Mayors and City County Court, where the Wagners' barrister, Joseph Meethan, detailed the series of incidents, including a ceiling collapse in August 2019 due to a leaking shower and a flood caused by a faulty sprinkler system.
The Wagners decided to move in 2020 but the sale of their apartment fell through in 2022, costing them over £60,000 in extra stamp duty. They blame Ms Sara's failure to provide evidence that the leaks had been remedied. Ms Sara's barrister, Faisel Sadiq, argued that she is not liable for the negligence of independent contractors, stating that 'a landowner is not in the position of an insurer of all those independent contractors who carry out works on their land.'
The trial continues.
