For breach of contract: Stéphanie of Monaco sues a car dealership
Stéphanie Grimaldi was sued by a car dealership. She accuses him of not having properly maintained his vehicle. The Princess of Monaco and her representative in Mauritius, Jérôme Boussac, are claiming Rs 500,000 in damages from the local company for breach of contract. The intermediate civil court must rule on this dispute.
The trial was called on Monday, March 28, before magistrate Medaven Armoogum. The suspects, Stéphanie Grimaldi, Princess of Monaco, and Jérôme Boussac, are represented by Me Nitish Hurnaum and Me Zaafir Raymode. While the defendant company is represented by Me Yves Hein.
Mr. Hurnaum indicated that he gave Mr. Hein documents that will be used and produced in court in the context of this case. Me Hein confirmed receipt of the documents. The lawyers asked for a delay so that the company could read the content of these documents. The case will be called again on May 6.
A few years ago, Stephanie from Monaco purchased a car from Axess Ltd. Jérôme Boussac, sole agent and intermediary of the princess in Mauritius, was authorized to use the vehicle. The dealer’s job was to take care of the upkeep and maintenance of the car.
On August 4, 2017, Jérôme Boussac delivered the vehicle to the company’s maintenance department for repair. The A/T indicator on the dashboard signaled a malfunction. The same day, the company returned the car to her and informed her that they had solved the problem by changing the transmission oil.
However, after riding 77 kilometers, Jérôme Boussac saw the same problem reappear.
In the complaint, he explains that on August 7, 2017, when he was bringing the car to the dealership, it experienced a serious malfunction, which he said could have caused an accident. The princess’ vehicle had to be towed to the company garage.
On August 23, 2017, the company communicated a report to Jérôme Boussac in which it indicates that certain parts of the transmission are defective, due to normal wear and tear for a vehicle of this age with such mileage.
The suspects believed that the transmission failures were caused by the dealership’s breach of its contractual obligations, as the company allegedly failed to follow the manufacturer’s recommendation to periodically change the transmission oil. They deplore the lack of professionalism of the Mauritian company which would not have followed up on their requests to obtain the technical reports of the last three interviews carried out on the vehicle. Hence their complaint.
The princess’ last stay in Mauritius dates back to 2019
Stéphanie from Monaco is a regular in Mauritius. She comes here every year. Her last vacation, however, dates back to November 2019. The princess had spent about fifteen on the island. Since then, she has not been able to make the trip due to the Covid-19 pandemic. She is also the godmother of the Casela leisure park in Rivière-Noire. She awarded the park in February 2015.
The dealer says he acted professionally
In its defence, the defendant company carried out its work in a professional manner. It declines all responsibility for the mechanical failure of the gearbox, which it attributes to normal wear and tear. The company maintains that the transmission oil in Stéphanie Grimaldi’s vehicle had been changed. And that the car had been handed over to Jérôme Boussac on the condition that he should return if the A/T indicator came on again.
According to the company, a technician from the breakdown service informed Jérôme Boussac that the vehicle could be safely driven to the workshop for additional findings. That as long as the A/T indicator was off, which it was then. “The breakdown service also informed Jérôme Boussac of various vehicle driving limitations if the indicator was on and that he was ready to intervene on the spot if such was the request. »
The company points out that the material used in the manufacture of such a gearbox is subject to wear, as in any other vehicle. In addition, the vehicle model is equipped with an engine whose gearbox, according to the manufacturer’s maintenance program, must be repaired or restored every 20,000 kilometers, and not every 40,000 kilometers as indicated the suspects. What the dealer says he did.
Also according to the manufacturer’s maintenance schedule, transmission oil does not need to be stored at any other time unless the A/T indicator remains illuminated after examination and service. The company explains that the oil replacement can be done on a case-by-case basis and that it was carried out as soon as the indicator came on, as indicated by Jérôme Boussac at a mileage of 105,180 km.
The company said it informed Jérôme Boussac that the vehicle needed repairs after an examination of the transmission box. Following which, a report and a repair estimate were sent to him for approval.
Finally, the dealer claims that the suspects’ requests for technical maintenance reports have been maintained and forwarded to the after-sales service. The delay in providing them to Jérôme Boussac would be due to the fact that these documents are not stored at the company’s headquarters. For all these reasons, the company considers that it is not liable to the plaintiffs either for the amount claimed or for any compensation of any amount whatsoever.
Failure to wear a mask: a Flacquois fined Rs 2,000
A 35-year-old resident of Flacq was fined for not wearing a mask on March 17, 2021, at La Source, in Flacq. He was fined Rs 2,000 before the Flacq court.
The accused pleaded not guilty. During his interrogation by the police on April 9, 2021, he did not want to make a statement. “Mo pa dakor avek sa ofans la, mo pou dir tou dan lakour,” he explained.
On March 17, 2021, when he was fined, he would have been in the company of a friend and would have had his mask in his hand. He would have explained to the policeman who had verbalized him that it was too hot to wear the mask. In the defendants’ box, he denied that he had been fined for not wearing a mask.
After hearing the police officer and the accused, magistrate Yovanee Hansheela Goinden Seeven found the latter guilty of not wearing a mask. She relied on the police officer’s testimony.
For her, his testimony was direct and proven. And she sentenced the accused to a fine of Rs 2,000.