Ads placed in Portugal to contact Lynn

ADVERTS have been placed in Portuguese newspapers in an attempt to contact rogue solicitor Micheal Lynn.

The latest attempts by banks’ legal representatives to contact the solicitor, who is believed to have more than €80 million in fraudulent mortgage debts, follow his failure to partake in a court case by video-link from London last November.

At that time Lynn claimed he was suffering from flu and was unable to give evidence.

At a sitting of the High Court hearing property repossession cases yesterday, it was revealed that lawyers for Bank of Scotland now believe Lynn is living in Portugal’s Algarve.

In November last they placed legal notices in the Portuguese English language press informing Lynn of pending legal proceedings. A notice in The Resident newspaper, notified Lynn that a copy of proceedings against him could be got from Arthur Cox solicitors in Dublin.

The case involves a €530,000 property purchased by Mr Lynn with a Bank of Scotland mortgage. The property was sold on by him but the proceeds of this sale were never used to pay off the outstanding mortgage.

A lawyer representing the man who claims to have been defrauded by Lynn said “his home is on the line here”. He asked for an adjournment to allow his client secure new legal representation.

A lawyer for Bank of Scotland said it was also “a victim” and delays were “not assisting anybody”.

Presiding Judge Elizabeth Dunne adjourned the matter for two weeks.

Lynn faces arrest if he returns to Ireland as there is an arrest warrant outstanding over his failure to appear in court in 2007.