Iya Patarkatsishvili, daughter of a Georgian billionaire, and her husband Dr Yevhen Hunyak have been granted a refund after purchasing a £32m London mansion infested with moths. The couple bought the seven-bedroom Notting Hill home in May 2019, which featured a pool, spa, gym, wine room, library, cinema, and a 'snoring room'.
Days after moving in, they discovered signs of an infestation that destroyed clothing and ruined wine. Dr Hunyak, a paediatric dentist, told the court he was swatting about 100 moths daily at the peak, and found them in their children's toothbrushes, cutlery, and meals. He also had to tip out glasses of wine with floating moths.
The couple sued the seller, property developer William Woodward-Fisher, to reverse the sale. On Monday, High Court judge Mr Justice Fancourt ruled that Woodward-Fisher gave 'false' answers about the infestation and failed to 'honestly to disclose' the problem. The judge noted the developer had not deliberately deceived but 'simply wanted to sell the house and move on'.
The court ordered the sale rescinded, requiring Woodward-Fisher to reimburse the purchase price minus about £6m for the couple's use of the property. He was also ordered to pay £4m in damages, including £15,000 for ruined clothes and £3.7m for stamp duty.
Chris Webber, the couple's solicitor, said they 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.' Woodward-Fisher had argued that moths were not considered vermin in legal inquiries.
