Builder Liability for Post-Completion Collapse Caused by Owner Modification

A homeowner contracted for construction work, which the builder completed, but the homeowner refused to pay the final installment, claiming the work was defective due to the collapse of a load-bearing wall six months after completion, despite the builder's insistence that the collapse was caused by the homeowner's unauthorized subsequent modifications to the foundation. The court of cassation quashed the lower court's decision, reasoning that the lower court failed to establish a direct causal link between the initial construction defect alleged by the homeowner and the subsequent collapse, especially when evidence suggested the collapse resulted from later, unauthorized alterations by the owner, thereby reversing the judgment that had held the builder liable for the costs of repair.