Judicial Letter Does Not Automatically Extend A Promise Of Sale

In a judgment delivered on the 15^th December 2025 in the names Wayne and Kimberline Camilleri v. Mark Anthony Manicolo and Sylvienne Montebello, the First Hall of the Civil Court confirmed that a judicial letter filed by a party to a promise of sale prior to the expiry of the promise of sale, does not automatically extend the validity of promise of sale by thirty days.

In this case, defendants had entered into a promise of sale for the sale of their Marsaxlokk property. The promise of sale was valid for a period of nine (9) months. Towards the end of the nine-month period, the purchasers requested an extension due to issues with financing fi the purchase of the property. Although one of the defendants signed the extension, the co-defendant refused to sign the extension. Purchasers therefore proceeded to filing a judicial letter in terms of Article1357(4). Before the expiration of the thirty-day period from filing the judicial letter, an appointment was scheduled at