Repossession cases backlog worsens

A BACKLOG of home repossession cases before the High Court has led to an eight-week delay for future hearings, the longest waiting period for such cases.

Up to 64 repossession cases were listed for hearing yesterday, exactly half of which related to subprime lender, Start Mortgages.

The next available date for adjourned repossession order cases granted by Judge Brian McGovern yesterday was April 26. The judge said an earlier date in April was “getting quite crowded.”

In one case yesterday, a Cavan man was granted a “well-charging” order over another man’s home, giving him the right to recoup a debt through the sale of the property.

The Cavan man had successfully sued the defendant in 2002 over an assault with a broken bottle in a pub, but had yet to be paid one cent from a court-ordered €60,000 in compensation.

The judge granted a stay of three months on theorder after hearing the property was a family home and the subject of judicial proceedings between the couple.

In another case, lender Nua Mortgages was told a sale had been agreed on a property with a deep sea diver to help pay off nearly €90,000 in arrears for a separate property.

The judge adjourned the case after hearing the defendant would be able to meet the debt once the diver returned from Dubai and signed the sale contract.

Just six possession orders were granted yesterday, a smaller number than usual.

Most were possession orders agreed with the consent of borrowers who did not appear in court.

Danske Bank was granted possession of a commercial premises in Blanchardstown, Dublin, bought with a loan of €385,000 in mid-2006.

Lawyers for the Danish lender said the borrower had last week produced a €50,000 cheque in the name of the City West Mansfield Group to pay off the debt, but it was never lodged in the bank.

Defaults on the loan had started in early 2008 and now some €412,000 was due, the court heard.

Start Mortgages was also granted possession of a Monaghan home bought with a €602,000 mortgage in 2005. The borrowers, facing €37,000 in arrears, had agreed to hand over the keys to the property once they were allowed pay €500 a month in rent to stay in the home for six months.