ACC case ‘abused the court process’

ACC Bank abused the court process by bringing a "trivial" case over a technical breach by a law firm in relation to its duty to register a mortgage on a property, a judge has said.

The bank brought the High Court case against a firm of solicitors “as some form of leverage”, as a way of making good the loss in value of the property involved due to a downturn in the market, Mr Justice Brian McGovern said.

ACC had also complained to the Law Society, accusing certain solicitors in the firm of Barry and Company, Athlone, of misconduct but the Society “did not see fit” to take any steps,” he said.