Former Chelsea goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini is being sued by the landlord of his £3million London mews home over converting its roof into a sun terrace.
The ex-footballer, 53, is being sued by Haya Property, owners of the freehold on his house in a plush area of west London.
Cudicini, who played for Chelsea between 1999 and 2009, says the dispute began when he complained about the firm installing loud air conditioning units near his bedroom window.
The house, bought by Cudicini for £1.75million in 2006, is close to Hyde Park and the Royal Albert Hall and under two miles from Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge home.
Milan-born Cudicini is now embroiled in a court dispute over claims he breached the lease terms for the South Kensington home by converting a rear section of flat roof into a sun terrace.
The freeholder Haya Property claims his use of the compact terrace space is ‘a trespass and/or breach of covenant’.
The former footballer’s lawyers insist his adaptation of the terrace, accessed off the first floor lounge, is in line with planning permission granted by the City of Westminster for works at the house from before he moved in.
During a short pre-trial hearing last week, Cudicini’s barrister Mark Warwick said he had embarked on a refurbishment project after buying the property, including opening up the terrace.
Carlo Cudicini is being sued by his £3million London home’s landlord over converting its roof into a sun terrace – pictured as Chelsea assistant coach at Stamford Bridge in February 2019
The ex-footballer, 53, is being sued by Haya Property, owners of the freehold on his house in west London
The barrister told Judge Olivia-Faith Dobbie at Central London County Court: ‘On 30 June 2006, he purchased the house, with the benefit of the terrace permission, for £1.75 million.
‘In about 2007 to 2008, he had work to the house carried out in accordance with the terrace permission, creating a terrace.
‘The work was carried out openly and with the knowledge and/or consent of the previous landlords.
‘From about 2008 and thereafter, he has openly used the terrace as part of the house.’
According to council documents, Cudicini also went on to secure planning permission to create a new basement beneath the mews, to include an en suite guest room and TV/play room.
However, Cudicini – whose 999-year lease on the house is held at a rate of ‘one red rose per annum if demanded’ – now faces claims of trespass and breach of the lease relating to the terrace.
Haya Property is also seeking an injunction barring the alleged misuse of the terrace, plus compensation of up to £25,000.
The mews home is now valued online at more than £3million.
Carlo Cudicini and long-term partner Anoesjcka Gianotti are pictured here at a gala in Los Angeles in June 2013 – he played for LA Galaxy after stints at Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur
Cudicini’s lawyers not only say the claim against him having no solid legal basis, but also that it was triggered by his landlords’ over-reaction to him complaining about how they placed noisy air-con units near his bedroom.
His KC described the breach allegation as ‘unjustified’, adding: ‘Further and in any event, the allegation was their unjustified riposte to Mr Cudicini’s earlier complaint to the City of Westminster that Haya Property had wrongly placed three noisy air conditioning units next to his master bedroom.’
Mr Warwick told the judge that the 2006 permission granted to a previous owner allowed for the ‘the replacement of a rear first floor window with French doors – and use of flat roof and lightwell as a terrace.’
Cudicini’s case also claims the landlords in place before Haya Property took over the freehold in 2015 were given formal notice of the terrace planning application and agreed to it.
In court, his barrister said Cudicini has ‘personal knowledge’ of the history of his house from the date of purchase in 2006 and has carried out further enquiries since the case was launched against him, which enabled him to put together a ‘complete defence’.
‘Since then, he has carried out further historical enquiries’, said Mr Warwick, adding: ‘These produced further documents and a fuller knowledge of the background.’
He said Haya Property acquired the freehold in November 2015 ‘by a transfer made between the previous freeholders and Haya Properties,’ by which Haya was transferred part of the freehold title.
The case ended up in court before Judge Dobbie in a five-minute pre-trial hearing dealing with costs budgets for the forthcoming trial whose date has yet to be fixed.
The ex-footballer’s lawyer told a court hearing: ‘In about 2007 to 2008, he had work to the house carried out in accordance with the terrace permission, creating a terrace’
After leaving Chelsea, Cudicini joined Tottenham Hotspur on a free transfer in 2009
Cudicini started his professional career at Serie A side AC Milan in 1992 but struggled to break into the first team and, after a stint at Lazio, moved to Chelsea in 1999.
He became the club’s number one goalkeeper and was voted Chelsea’s player of the year for the 2001-02 season.
He was then part of Premier League title-winning seasons as an understudy to Petr Cech under Jose Mourinho in 2005 and 2006.
Cudicini later moved to Tottenham Hotspur in 2009 and played his final professional games at Los Angeles Galaxy in 2013 before hanging up his boots.
He first returned to Chelsea as a club ambassador and assistant to then-manager Antonio Conte in 2016 and is now the club’s head of talent and pathway programme.
