A period of one week has been given to the Football Association of Maldives (FAM) and Future Homes Pvt Ltd to settle their case outside of court.
The case revolves around FAM initially filing a case against the company to the vacate a leased plot in the Maafannu Stadium area, with Future Homes subsequently requesting an interim court order preventing FAM from enforcing its eviction notice or taking further action to remove the company from the premises while the case is pending.
According to the company, if they abide by FAM's eviction notice, they will sustain unforeseen damages, and that they believe FAM is currently not capable of providing compensation.
In response, FAM said the agreement drafted with Future Homes clearly states the transactional amounts, and that FAM has the financial capability to fulfill it.
During today's hearing, the presiding judge did not make a decision regarding the interim order and instead, gave both parties the opportunity to settle outside of the court. The judge said if they are unable to come to a solution within a week, the judge will declare a ruling regarding the interim order.
The case filed by Future Homes reads that the company completed their obligations under the agreement that was signed with the FAM in 2023. The case also reads a building was also constructed as per the agreement.
The claim requests the Civil Court to determine the FAM is in violation of the agreement as FAM has decided not to honor the agreement while the building was in use, and to order FAM to conduct themselves as per the agreement. It further requests the Civil Court to determine the right to compensation as the work that was being done on the plot was stopped.
According to court documents, FAM agreed to allocate 2,700 square feet of land from the stadium area to Future Homes for 25 years in exchange for clearing waste south of the FAM Turf Ground and constructing changing rooms.
The land was provided rent-free in return for the work, and the company claims it completed the project at a cost of MVR 7 million.
Future Homes has also requested an interim court order preventing FAM from enforcing its eviction notice or taking further action to remove the company from the premises while the case is pending.
FAM had previously said it would pursue legal action against the company for failing to vacate the land despite repeated requests.
The association also alleged that the two-storey building was constructed without the required approvals from the Housing Ministry and Male' City Council, citing written confirmations from both authorities.
However, Future Homes has denied the allegation. A company official said it has no objection to vacating the land, provided it receives compensation for the costs incurred and any losses suffered if the agreement is terminated.
