Vinyes Car Park Sues Andorra la Vella Over Plaza Renovation Leaks

The Batllia d'Andorra has admitted a lawsuit by Vinyes Patrimonial SLU, operator of the Vinyes car park, against Andorra la Vella parish council and its insurer, Patrimoine Assegurances-Unieurope-Axa-Grup. The action, made public Wednesday via an edict in the Butlletí Oficial del Principat d'Andorra (BOPA), challenges a parish executive board resolution that rejected the company's liability claim over water infiltration from the renovated Plaça del Poble and Vinyes area.

Leaks first appeared on 23 June last year, during the afternoon or evening, as water seeped into the underground car park due to what Vinyes Patrimonial calls inadequate insulation in the public works. An expert report commissioned by the car park's insurer attributed responsibility to the parish, as project promoter, and the construction firm involved. The same insurer covers the parish, the car park owner, and the builder.

Initial exchanges of letters followed in subsequent weeks, with Vinyes Patrimonial pressing for repairs. The company filed its formal patrimonial liability claim in December. By late January, the executive board, led by Mayor Sergi González and first deputy Olalla Losada, dismissed it, stating the parish was doing "everything within its reach" to address the issue. González had described the leaks as minimal and nearly resolved during a November parish council meeting, though no fix had materialized six months later.

Vinyes Patrimonial appealed to the full parish council in early March, but that was rejected by late April, exhausting administrative remedies. The parish initially ruled out waterproofing certain planters but carried out the work in recent weeks to halt seepage. Officials insist the problem is now resolved, attributing any prior issues to pre-existing structural flaws in the plaza rather than the renovation. The car park operator, however, seeks compensation for material damage and unforeseen repair costs after a year of disputes and failed talks.

The parish celebrated the plaza's reopening last Sunday with music and events, aiming to move past controversies including this one. The Batllia will now determine liability and assign responsibility for the costs.