Civil Court Grants Malé City Council Powers to Dispose of Abandoned Vessels Over Unpaid Mooring Fees

The Civil Court has ordered a local marine company to pay over MVR 75,000 in outstanding mooring fees and granted the Malé City Council legal authority to remove and destroy several vessels if the company fails to clear them within ten days.

The judgment follows a lawsuit brought by the Malé City Council against Seashuttle Maldives over the prolonged non-payment of mooring fees for designated berths. The council submitted that despite terminating the lease agreement and repeatedly instructing the firm to vacate the area, the vessels remained untouched. Of the four vessels moored at the site, three have since sunk, and the company had failed to refloat or remove the wrecks despite formal written notices and public announcements.

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Seeking judicial intervention, the municipal authority asked the court to affirm the lawful termination of the lease agreements, mandate the immediate clearance of the site, and order the recovery of unpaid fees and accrued fines. 

Crucially, the council requested explicit authorisation to salvage and dispose of the vessels as scrap or refuse should the operator fail to meet a court-mandated deadline, with all removal costs borne directly by the firm.

Delivering the judgment in the defendant’s absence, the Civil Court ordered Seashuttle Maldives to settle MVR 75,446 in unpaid charges and fines within 15 days.

The court also formally voided the mooring agreements and directed the company to remove all vessels from the allocated berths within ten days of the ruling. The judgment made clear that should Seashuttle Maldives fail to clear the berths within the stipulated period, the Malé City Council holds the full legal right to salvage the vessels and dispose of them as refuse.