Former notary ordered to reimburse client nearly €33,000 over failed Senglea property deal

A former notary currently serving a prison sentence has been ordered by the civil courts to repay almost €33,000 to a woman who had entrusted him with funds for the purchase of an apartment in Senglea.

Madam Justice Miriam Hayman ruled that Thomas Vella must refund the money paid by Stephanie Mintoff in connection with the aborted property transaction, after finding that the sums handed over to the notary were never passed on to the seller.

Court records show that over a number of months, Mintoff and a family member transferred more than €32,000 to Vella.

These payments included a 10% deposit, provisional tax, notarial fees and additional amounts that were meant to form part of the purchase price. Despite this, the seller did not receive the outstanding balance.

In November 2019, Mintoff was informed that more than €20,000 remained unpaid, prompting the seller to take legal action against her.

Although she had already paid the full amount to the notary, Mintoff was ultimately required to settle the case by paying €28,400, a figure that reflected the outstanding balance together with accumulated interest and court costs.

In a separate judgment delivered in 2024, the court acknowledged that while Mintoff remained legally liable to the seller, she had been clearly deceived by the notary’s conduct.

Mintoff subsequently instituted civil proceedings against Vella to recover her losses. The court noted that Vella did not contest the claim and formally accepted responsibility for the misappropriated funds.

In addition to ordering the repayment of close to €33,000 plus legal costs, the court took note of Vella’s criminal record. He is currently serving a seven-year prison sentence related to the widespread misappropriation of client funds. The criminal court had also imposed a €150,000 fine and ordered the confiscation of €661,000.

The judgment further referenced the fact that in February 2025, Vella was convicted in separate criminal proceedings and permanently barred from holding a notarial warrant.