Month: August 2026

A seller who stays silent about a violent or dangerous neighbour can be made to compensate the buyer for the resulting loss in a property’s value, as France’s highest court has just confirmed, upholding an award of more than €100,000 against sellers who concealed an aggressive neighbour they had themselves repeatedly reported to police.

The case, decided by the Cour de cassation at the end of May, concerned a Paris apartment. Its owners had bought it, with a parking space, for €615,000 in 2011 and sold it on for €710,000 in 2016. What they did not tell the buyers was that they had been targeted by the occupant of a neighbouring flat, a man whose behaviour was described in court as abnormal and extremely aggressive, and against whom they had lodged complaints with the police.

After moving in, the new owners ran into the same problem, filing their own reports over the following years. In 2020 the situation turned frightening, when the neighbour rang at their door and held a loaded pistol to the wife’s head before her husband forced him away, leaving both hospitalised in shock. The couple took the former owners to court, arguing that the sellers had deliberately hidden a situation no buyer could reasonably have overlooked.

What the court decided

The buyers did not ask for the sale to be cancelled; they chose to keep the apartment and claim damages instead. A Paris court found in their favour in 2021, the Paris Court of Appeal confirmed the decision in July 2024, and on 28th May 2026 the Cour de cassation rejected the sellers’ final appeal. The sellers were ordered to pay €106,500 — 15% of the sale price — to reflect how much less the flat was worth because of the neighbour.

Crucially, the court rejected the sellers’ argument that the buyers had lost only the chance to negotiate a lower price, which would have limited the payout. Instead it treated the harm as the full gap between the price paid and the property’s real value, and awarded the entire amount.

Silence can be deceit

The ruling, published in the court’s official bulletin and so setting a benchmark for future cases, is a reminder that under French law a seller’s silence can itself amount to fraud, known as ‘réticence dolosive’. A seller must disclose anything likely to weigh materially on a property’s value. A merely irritating neighbour would not meet that test, but concealing serious, abnormal disturbances does — and, as this case shows, a buyer who later uncovers the truth can keep the property and still recover what they overpaid.

Monaco and Slovenia recently marked the 20th anniversary of their diplomatic relations with a high-level economic and cultural event in Ljubljana, bringing together government officials, diplomats, and business leaders from both nations.

Organised jointly by the Embassy and Consulate of Monaco in Slovenia, the day’s packed agenda focused on sustainability, innovation, and bilateral cooperation.

A high-level Monegasque delegation

To mark the anniversary, a delegation travelled from the Principality to the Slovenian capital. Led by Céline Caron-Dagioni, Minister of Public Works, the Environment and Urban Development, the group included representatives from Invest Monaco, the Monaco Economic Board, the Tourist and Convention Authority, the Prince Albert II Foundation, SMEG, and local firms specialising in the green economy.

Following an opening address by Ambassador Anne Eastwood, speeches delivered by Minister Caron-Dagioni and Tone Kajzer, representing Slovenia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, emphasised the shared values of both countries and their mutual commitment to sustainable development.

Fostering economic and environmental collaboration

The morning session featured a series of economic presentations and panel discussions designed to encourage collaboration between the Monegasque and Slovenian business ecosystems, with a strong emphasis on sustainability, tourism, sport, and innovation.

On the sidelines of the main programme, Minister Caron-Dagioni met with Polona Rifelj, Slovenian Minister of the Environment and Spatial Planning, to discuss practical strategies for energy transition and green urbanisation.

A central economic highlight of the day was the official signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Monaco Economic Board and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia, paving the way for closer commercial ties between the two markets.

Cultural highlights

The celebration also featured a vibrant cultural programme, highlighted by a special performance by the ‘Little Singers of Monaco’, who visited Ljubljana as part of their European tour. The event concluded with a formal lunch reception hosted by the Embassy of Monaco, sealing a successful chapter of friendship and cooperation between the two European nations.

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Photo credit: Stane Jersic, source: Government Communications Department