|
My family and I have been trying to resolve an inheritance claim going back some 15 years since the death of my father, Emmanuel Portelli, in Gozo.
Emmanuel was born in Gozo but lived for the most part of his adult life in Cardiff after marrying my mother, Ellen, and raising 4 children – myself being one of them. He and his siblings inherited some lands and properties in Gozo on the death of his parents. This inheritance passed to myself and my 3 sisters on his death in October 1991. Since then we have been trying to bring closure to all of this – and failed.
My father was represented in Gozo by Dr Michael Grech. We are unsure of what monies were paid to Michael Grech by my father, but since 1991 we have probably paid around GBP800 (sterling) for valuations/solicitors’ fees, etc. My mother died in 2003 and, on her death, my wife and I took on responsibility for the family to try and end this claim. Since my father’s death and until my mother died we had intermittent contact with Michael Grech – always instigated my either myself or one of my sisters – either by telephone, letter or, latterly, email. Dr Grech always informed us that the matter was still subject of the courts and was awaiting sale of the lands and properties by auction and, when asked on a number of occasions, Dr Grech always said not to worry about any fees and that his agreement with my father had been that the fees would be settled upon completion of the sales.
This went on for some years until, around September 1994, I contacted Michael Grech by email and, a few days later, was contacted, again by email, by a Ms Georgine Grech who informed me that Michael Grech had been unlawfully killed 4 months previously in Gozo and that she had taken on the case. Georgine Grech also informed me that she was no relation to Michael Grech. To say that my sisters and I were shocked is an understatement. We could not understand why we had not been informed earlier of Michael Grech’s death and that a different solicitor was now dealing with the case.
A few years passed with emails and telephone calls going back and for – always instigated by my wife and I – pleading by the end for the properties and land to be auctioned. Georgine Grech always seemed to be fob us off until, eventually, we decided to try to find another solicitor in Malta to take on the case. We found one who would do so but who, obviously, needed the files from Georgine Grech to continue with the case. He informed us that he was astonished at the time this had all taken and said that he would be able to resolve all of the issues and proceed to sell the lands and properties within around 6 months – but he needed the files.
Georgine Grech flatly refused to hand over the files to us unless we paid fees amounting to some GBP1,500 (sterling). We informed her of the agreement that my father had had with Michael Grech and we refused to pay, but offered to her that the amount could be paid from the proceeds of the sales before what was left was divided between the inheritors. She refused. My family and I could not at the time and cannot now afford to pay her GBP1,500 sterling before completion of the sales.
Our other solicitor then advised me to take our case to the Court of Advocates in Malta – which I did. They looked into the case and sent me a two-page letter they had received from Georgine Grech and a covering letter in English asking me for my comments before taking the case forward – but unfortunately the letter from Ms Grech was in the Maltese language and despite numerous requests from myself we have still not been able to get a translation into English. Unfortunately, my father did not bring any of us up to read/write Maltese.
And so, 15 years later, we find ourselves at a stalemate. We have a solicitor who is willing to take on our case, but who cannot until he receives the paperwork, and Georgine Grech refusing to hand over the files until she is paid GBP1,500. Despite numerous requests to the Court of Advocates for an English translation of her defence, I have received no response.
I am given to understand, although have not been to Gozo since I went there to bring my father’s body home to Cardiff for burial, that property(ies) have been built on the adjacent land to the ones my family and I own without any consultation.
I hope that by making my case public in your newspaper this can help to resolve the issues and ease the sales of the lands and properties. We would then, finally, be able to lay my father to rest.
Michael Portelli,
Cardiff, UK
|
