Owner Liability for Contractor Negligence in Construction Damage

The case involved a dispute over the liability for damages sustained during a construction project, where a contractor's work allegedly caused damage to a neighboring property. The lower court found the property owner, who had commissioned the work, jointly liable with the contractor for the resulting harm, based on a finding of shared responsibility for the safety of the work site and the adherence to proper execution methods. The high court quashed this decision, reasoning that the owner, absent any direct fault in the direction or supervision of the execution of the work, could not be held strictly liable for the contractor's improper methods or breaches of technical regulations; liability for such faults should rest solely with the contractor who had full control over the execution of the work.