The Western Cape High Court (Cape Town) has ruled that a long-running conflict between neighbouring businesses in Bloubergstrand does not require urgent resolution.

TimesLIVE reports that the court found that there were no urgent grounds in an application by On the Rocks to interdict Jerry Finley of the neighbouring Pinard on Sea guesthouse.  The case was postponed to 17 May.

Johannesburg Advocate Andre Bezuidenhout, who owns On the Rocks, asked the court to stop Finley disrupting the restaurant's business operations, including 'the assault and verbal abuse' of staff members, and interfering with delivery of stock and supplies to On the Rocks.

Court documents also complain that Finley has opened a restaurant, coffee shop and ice-cream parlour without planning permission.

In his answering affidavit, Finley said his business licence permitted the development.

Finley's attorney, Antionette Rawlings, said the main aim of On the Rocks' litigation was to force the American businessman to close a coffee shop he opened last December.

'Mr Finley believes the motive behind the application is to stifle competition in the Bloubergstrand district,' she said, adding that Finley had unsuccessfully tried to mediate his neighbours' complaints.

In court papers, Annarette Blom, MD of the On the Rocks trust, said she and other staff had endured 'a multitude of hostile engagements' with Finley, dating back to 2012.

Full TimesLIVE report