Court authorises council to remove abandoned vessels from Vilimalé lagoon

The Civil Court has authorised Malé City Council to remove and dispose of abandoned vessels from mooring areas in Vilimalé lagoon and ordered a private company to pay MVR 75,446 in outstanding fees and penalties.

The ruling follows a case filed by the council against Seashuttle Maldives over unpaid mooring fees and the company's failure to remove vessels after its agreements with the council were terminated.

Under the ruling, Seashuttle Maldives must pay MVR 75,446 within 15 days and remove its vessels from the designated mooring areas within 10 days.

If the company fails to remove the vessels within the specified period, the council will be authorised to remove and dispose of them.

According to court documents, Seashuttle Maldives entered into three one-year mooring agreements with Malé City Council on 20 August 2023.

The agreements allowed the company to use designated mooring spaces in Vilimalé lagoon in exchange for payments to the council.

However, the company failed to make the required payments, prompting the council to terminate the agreements.

The council first notified Seashuttle Maldives of the termination on 21 January 2024 and subsequently instructed the company to remove its vessels before 10 March 2025.

The council also issued four further notices between 2025 and January 2026, requesting payment of outstanding fees and removal of the vessels.

Despite these notices, the company did not remove the vessels or settle the outstanding payments.

During court proceedings, Malé City Council said Seashuttle Maldives had four vessels moored in the designated areas, three of which had sunk.

The council said it had repeatedly instructed the company to remove the vessels through public announcements and written notices, but no action had been taken.

The council subsequently sought a court ruling confirming the termination of the mooring agreements and ordering the company to pay MVR 75,446 in outstanding fees and penalties.

It also requested authorisation to remove and dispose of the vessels if the company failed to do so within a specified period, and to recover the costs of removal.

Seashuttle Maldives did not respond to the case within the period granted by the Civil Court.

The court therefore issued a judgment in the company's absence, ruling in favour of Malé City Council.

The court ordered Seashuttle Maldives to pay MVR 75,446 within 15 days and remove the vessels from the mooring areas within 10 days.

It also ruled that the council would have the authority to dispose of the vessels if the company failed to remove them within the deadline.

However, the court declined to award the council the costs of removing and disposing of the vessels.

The court said the council had not specified an amount for these expenses in its claim and that the Civil Procedure Code did not permit the court to award an unspecified sum in a judgment issued in the defendant's absence.

The abandoned vessels in Vilimalé lagoon had previously prompted complaints from residents and other vessel operators.

Concerns were raised that some vessels had been left to deteriorate, while others had sunk, obstructing nearby mooring areas and affecting the condition of the lagoon.

The matter was also discussed at an official meeting of Malé City Council.

At the time, Malé Mayor Adam Azim said the council had instructed the vessel owners to remove the abandoned boats but could not dispose of them without the owners' consent.

He said the council was exploring legal options to secure the authority needed to remove the vessels after attempts to obtain the owners' cooperation had been unsuccessful.

The Civil Court's ruling now provides the council with legal authorisation to remove and dispose of the vessels if Seashuttle Maldives fails to comply with the court's order.