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Case Details
- National ID: 1256/1996/1
- Member State: Malta
- Common Name:N/A
- Decision type: Other
- Decision date: 19/05/2003
- Court: Qorti tal-Magistrati (Court of first instance)
- Subject:
- Plaintiff:
- Defendant:
- Keywords: Case law Malta English

Directive Articles

Doorstep Selling Directive, Article 5
Headnote

1. The cancellation form to cancel the doorstep contract within the cooling off period of 15 days must be sent in accordance with the procedure and requirements stated at law. (In this case the form was sent by ordinary mail and not by registered mail or delivered in person as was then required – with the trader stating that he never received any cancellation form from the consumer within the said period).
2. Consumer did not show any just cause in asking for the cancellation of the contract on the basis of article 10 which enabled the consumer to cancel a contract if he or she showed just cause.
Facts

The trader as plaintiff was requesting the full payment of books with interests and court expenses further to a doorstep contract made with consumers in March 1996. Consumers in refusing to pay, claimed that the contract was cancelled in accordance with articles 8 and 10 of the Door-to-Door Salesmen Act.

The consumers also claimed that the agreement was not made with the consent of both spouses. In this context the Court upheld the claims of the trader only against Veronica Saliba requiring her to make full payment with interests and to bear court expenses.
Legal issue

The Court noted that from the evidence of the consumer, it resulted that the cancellation post was sent by ordinary post, whereas the trader had declared that he had never received the cancellation form. The Court held that it was clear that the consumer had, in trying to cancel the contract, failed to abide with the requirements of the law which stipulated that a doorstep contract must be cancelled by delivering the cancellation form in person or sending it by registered post to the trader. The Court therefore decided that the contract had not been cancelled in accordance with the requirements of the Door-to-Door Salesmen Act.

Consumer had also raised the plea on the basis of article 10 of the Act that she had a just cause in cancelling the contract. The Court held that consumer however had failed to show that she had a just cause to justify the cancellation of the contract on the strength of this provision. The Court noted that just cause could be a mistake on some fact of substance or action consisting of some form of trickery or abusive conduct which may have been conducive to the consent of the consumer to the contract or else some other shortcoming with regard to the essential elements required for the validity of contractual obligations agreed to.
Decision

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Kopja Informali ta' SentenzaPagna 1 minn 6Qrati tal-Gustizzja
MALTA
QORTI TAL-MAGISTRATI (MALTA)
MAGISTRAT DR.JOSEPH A. APAP BOLOGNA
Seduta tad-19 ta' Mejju, 2003
Avvi$Z Numru. 1256/1996/1

Godfrey Aquilina, bhala Mandatarju tas-socjeta’ estera COMMENWEALTH u b’digriet tal-Qorti tal-4 ta’ Marzu 1997 il-kelma “Commenwealth”qed tigi sostitwitabil-kelma “COMMONWEALTH” EDUCATIONAL SOCIETY LTD” ta’ Madrid, Spanja.
vs
Veronica u Natalino konjugi SpiteriI l-Qorti,
Ratl-avvizinesamilibihl-atturnominetalabsabiexilkonvenuti jghidu l-ghaliex ma ghandhomx jigu kundannatili jhallsu lill-attur nomine s-somma ta’ tlett mija u hamsa uKopja Informali ta' SentenzaPagna 2 minn 6Qrati tal-Gustizzjadisghin Liri Maltin (Lm395.00c) import tal-prezz ta’ diversikotbalill-konvenutimibjughaukkonsenajtimill-atturnomineskondl-Iskritturatat-13ta’ Marzu,1996(Dok A)kif ukoll l-imghaxijiet legali sal-hlas effettiv, u dana prevjadikjarazzjoniillil-konvenutiiddekadew mill-beneficcjutalmod utat-terminukiflill-konvenutikoncessmill-atturnominefl-istessskrittura,udanasenjatamentsewminhabbal-ksurtal-obbligikuntrattwalital-konvenutifirrigward tal-konsenja tal-kotba li kellhom jigu mill-konvenutiaccettatipero’effettivamentgewmill-konvenutirifjutatimetal-atturnominewasalsabiexjikkonsenjahomlillkonvenuti fit-terminu previst fl-Iskrittura, kif ukoll minhabbal-inadempjenzadapartital-konvenutirigwardantilkondizzjoni tal-hlastal-prezztal-kotbakifindikatfl-istessSkritturapermezzta’pagamentiratealimensilili,aiterminital-Iskrittura,kellhomjibdewjigumill-konvenutieffettwatilill-atturnomineb’effettmit-13ta‘Mejju1996,bir-ratata’Lm15.80ckull wiehed,izdalibaqghumasarux.
Bl-ispejjes komprizi dawk tal-ittra ufficjali tal-11 ta‘ Gunju,1996kifukolltac-Cedolata’Depozituprezentatamalavviz kontra l-konvenuti li gew ingunti ghas-subizzjoni.
Rat kif ukollid-dokument anness mal-istess avviz afol 2tal-atti u markat Dok A.
Ratin-nota tal-eccezzjonijiettal-konvenuti(fol 9) uli bihaeccepew:
Preliminarjament,illiGodreyAquilinamaghanduxrrapprezentanza tas-socjeta’CommonwealthEducationalSocietyLimitedulanqashuwaawtorizzatjistitwixxilodierni proceduri.
Sussidjarjamentu minghajrpreduzzjughall-premess,filmeritu t-talbiettal-atturnomineghandhomjigumichudabl-ispejjezstanteillil-kuntrattfl-ewwellokmakienxmiftiehembil-kunsenstaz-zewgkonjugi(il-kunsensta’NatalinoSpiterikiennieqes)uf’kullkazl-istesskuntratthuwa ikkancellat a tenur tal-artikoli 8 u 10 tal-Kap. 317.
Kopja Informali ta' SentenzaPagna 3 minn 6Qrati tal-GustizzjaSalvi eccezzjonijiet ulterjuri.
Ratlil-istess konvenutiirtirawl-ewwel eccezzjoni(fol 17ibid).
Ratl-attikollhatal-kawzaspecjalmentdakverbalizzatafol86uafol87ibidkifukollin-notata’sottomissjonijiettal-istess attur nomine a fol 88 et seq ibid.I kkunsidratI lli,mill-proviprodottimill-partijietinvolutif’danil-kaz,irrizultaw is-segwenti fatti:-

a)Fit-13ta’Marzu1996,il-konvenutawahedha,kienetiffirmatil-ftehimanness mal-attiafol2.Permezztal-istess ftehim, regolat kemm mill-Kapitolu 317 tal-Ligijietta’ Malta kemm mir-regoli generali dwar obligazzjonijiet ubejgh stipulati fil-Kodici Civili, il-konvenuta obligat ruhha litixtril-kotba hemm specifikati b’danli l-istess ftehim seta’jigikancellatmill-istesskonvenutiskondl-artikolu8tal- Kaptiolucitatukifspecifikatfl-istessftehim. Skondlistess artikolu citatftehim bhal dakin desamina maghrufbhala“adoorstepcontract”jista’jigikancellatmillkonsumatur fizmienhmistax-iljummid-datatal-istessftehimudanbil-modalitajietspecifikatifl-istessartikolufosthompermezzta’ittrapostaliregistrata. Dwardanlahhar puntl-istessftehimspecifikatamentjghidillidanjista’ jigi kancellat permezz tal-konsenja “either by hand orby registered post at the Local Representative’s address”. Jinghad ulterjorment li “This contract will not be otherwiseaffectedbyanyverbalrepresentationoragreementdiffering in any way from this contract”.

b)Meta xehdetil-konvenuta(fol 68 etseqibid) dinspejegat li kienet iffirmat l-istess ftehim in kwistjoni u danminhabbali“….Is-salesrepresentative(aktarxcertuJoseph Mercieca) tal-attur nomine ….. tant kemm kien fitt,ligeghlniniffirma”il-ftehimanness mal-attiafol2. Flistess data tal-ftehim, filghaxija, hi kienet iddiskutiet il-kazmazewghaufilfattiddeciediet lijikkancellawl-istessftehim ghax“…. Ma kellniex bzonnhom(ara fol 71ibid)”. Kopja Informali ta' SentenzaPagna 4 minn 6Qrati tal-GustizzjaGhalhekkskondl-istesskonvenuta,l-ghadastesshiiffirmat il-"cancellation notice”, li kienet annessa mal-istessftehiminesami,“ubghatthabil-postakomuni”. Ilkonvenuti dwardan,issostnuli“…haddmakieninformanilikellinibghatab’postaregistrata”anzi“Issalesman kienspegali, metakontqedniffirmal-ftehimlikellinibghat,jekkridtil-“cancellationnotice”fizmienhmistax il-gurnata”.

c)Jiginotatlil-konvenutasemmietlis-“salesrepresentative” kien, aktarx Joseph Mercieca. In rigwarddan,kiensarudiversitentattividapartitaghhomsabiexdanjixhedwaralil-istessatturnominekien,tahtgurament, informa lill-Qorti x’kien l-indirizz ta’ dan stante lima kienx ghadu impjegat bhala “delivery man” mal-istessattur nomine(arafol 48ibid). Pero danix-xhud qatt magienotifikatsabiexjixhedpricipalmentminhabbaliinhargettahrika,fuqindirizzdifferentiminndakmghotimill-atturnomineudaninrigwardl-isemtad-darta’residenza. Inoltre,ufilfatt,jidherlis-“salesman”involutkien Wyndham Bezzina(fol44etseqibid)ligieprodottbhala xhud mill-istess konvenuti.Dan sostna li filfatt, kieninformalill-konvenutadwarx’kienuil-modalitajietkorretti,skond li-stess ftehim dwar il-kancellament ta’ dan.

d)L-atturnomineeskludab’modkategorikuliqattircieva l-“cancellation form” f’dan il-kaz.I kkunsidratI lli,sintetizzatiil-fattiinesami,uinrigwardit-tienieccezzjoni kif sottomessa, ghandu jinghad li:-
i)Dinil-Qorti,kifpresjeduta,digjakellhaokkazjonisabiextirreferighas-sentenza,citata afol89tal-attiuflismijiet GodfreyAquilinanominevsJosephFalzonetdecisafis-16ta’Ottubru1998(CitNumru985/95GCD). Dinkienetiddecidietlimaramizzewgaghandhailkapacita’ litidholf’obligazzjonjiet minghajril-kunsensjewl-assistenza ta’ zewgha.Filfatt l-iskrittura in esami torbotlill-konvenutawahedhaughandhataghmeltajbaghallistess obligazzjonjietbil-beniparafernalitaghhauKopja Informali ta' SentenzaPagna 5 minn 6Qrati tal-Gustizzjasekondarjamentbil-beniappartenentilill-komunjonitalakkwisti sal-valurtal-konvenutamill-istessakkwisti.Ghalhekk, f’dan il-kaz, il-ftehim in esami ghandu jigi ritenutvalidu fil-ligi vis-à-vis l-istess konvenuta.ii)Mix-xhiedatal-istesskonvenuta,jidherlil- “cancellationform”kienetintbghatetpermezzta’postaordinarjawaqtlil-atturnominejsostnilil-istessdikjarazzjonita’kancellamentqattmairceviha. Hawnhekkjidherevidentilil-konvenutamaottempratxruhhamadakstipulatfl-istessftehiminmateriata’kancellament. Ghalhekkil-Qortimatistaxtarakiftista’tikkonkludilidanil-ftehimkiengiekancellatskondkifstipulat fl-istess ftehim.iii)Fl-istesseccezzjoni,hemmreferenzaukollghallartikolu 10tal-istessligilijghidlif’kazliftehim bhaldanma giex kancellat kif inghad, “the consumer shall not havea right to cancel the doorstep contract without just cause”. Hawnhekkjidherevidentilimatresqetebdaprova,daparti tal-konvenuti, li turi li huma ghandhom “gusta kawza”sabiexjikkancellawl-istessftehim,liemagustakawzatista’tkunjewsballta’fattsostanzjalijew,ghemildoluzpermezz ta’ ingann jew raggiri li jivvizjaw il-kunsens jewxinuqqas iehor in rigward l-elementi essenzjali ghal validita’ta’kullobligazzjoni. Inrigwarddan,sarbissaccennfleccezzjoni inesamibillisaretreferenzaghall-artikolu10citat minghajr, pero’, ma ingiebet ebda hjiel ta’ prova dwarl-istess.I kkunsidratI lli,ghalhekkit-talbietattricighandhomjiguakkoltifilkonfront tal-konvenuta.
Ghaldawnil-motivi,l-Qorti,filwaqtlitilliberalill-konvenutmill-osservanzatal-gudizzju,tilqa’t-talbietattricifilkonfront tal-konvenutaufilwaqtlitiddikjaralil-istesskonvenuta iddekadiet mill-beneficcju tal-mod u tat-terminulilhakoncessfl-istessftehimossijaskritturahawnfuqimsemmija, tikkudanna lill-istess konvenuta sabiex thallaslilll-attur nomine is-somma ta’ Lm395.00,0 bl-imghax legaliKopja Informali ta' SentenzaPagna 6 minn 6Qrati tal-Gustizzjamill-11 ta‘ Gunju 1996 sad-data tal-pagmaent effettiv u blispejjes inkluzi dawk tal-ittra ufficjali tal-11 ta’ Gunju 1996utac-cedolata’depositutat-12ta’Novembru1996,imsemmija fl-istess avviz.

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