Court Orders Salon Owner to Refund Buyer BD800 After Deal Collapse

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

In a civil dispute highlighting the importance of verifying legal requirements before signing contracts, the Minor Civil Court ordered a salon owner to pay BD800 to a buyer after failing to transfer ownership of a women’s salon due to zoning restrictions that classified the location as residential rather than commercial.

According to lawyer Zainab Ali Madan, representing the buyer, the two parties had agreed on a contract for the sale and transfer of a beauty salon, including all furniture, equipment, and fittings, for BD4,000. The buyer paid BD700 as part of the agreed amount.

However, when the buyer attempted to obtain a commercial registration for the salon through the municipal authorities, the request was rejected because the property was located in a residential zone. The court noted that the site’s classification had been changed under Ministerial Decision No. 36 of 2024, making it impossible to legally operate the salon as a commercial business.

In its ruling, the court stated that the contract could not be executed due to circumstances beyond the buyer’s control. Testimonies and official documents confirmed that the licensing request had been rejected because the property did not meet the requirements for a commercial activity.

The court also rejected the defendant’s claim that the BD700 paid by the buyer was merely a deposit, noting that the contract clearly stated the amount was part of the agreed purchase price.

Evidence presented to the court included WhatsApp messages in which the salon owner acknowledged she would refund the amount once it became available. The court therefore ordered the termination of the agreement and the return of the BD700 to the buyer.

In addition, the court awarded the buyer BD100 in moral damages, finding that the seller’s delay in returning the money caused emotional distress.