Parents working 180 hours a week lose family home

A MOTHER and father gave up the fight for their family home yesterday, saying they could not make enough as taxi drivers to meet their rising mortgage payments.

The north Dublin couple were among 14 cases where homes and properties were repossessed at the High Court.

The parents, who have twins aged 9 and another child aged 13, stood before Judge Brian McGovern explaining why they could no longer meet their mortgage payments.

Speaking afterwards, the husband explained that he was working 100 hours a week and his wife 80 as taxi drivers.

He claimed other PAYE workers, like firemen and post office workers, were running taxis and taking business from the industry.

“We haven’t been able to make enough money since 2007,” said the father-of-three.

The couple are facing €12,000 in arrears on a mortgage they originally were given for €210,000 for their terraced home in Portrane from lender Stepstone Mortgages.

The taxi driver explained they had received the loan from the sub-prime lender after being unable to get a mortgage elsewhere because of “bad credit ratings”.

“The kids are alright, but they don’t know too much about this,” added the young father.

In another case, a solicitor in Malahide had his home repossessed by lender Danske Bank.

The solicitor has financed the purchase of another home with the mortgage on his home, but was now facing debts of some €3.3 million since late last year.

The solicitor had failed to communicate with the lender about the arrears and had paid nothing on the loan since late 2008, the court heard.

A total of 14 repossession orders for homes, lands and commercial properties were granted at the High Court yesterday out of 71 cases listed for hearing.

Many cases were adjourned until later this year and some even next year.

In another case, the court heard how a Roscommon farmer had frustrated attempts to repossess his land by failing to remove over 100 cattle and horses when gardaí and the local sheriff had arrived on his property last month. The farmer was threatened with contempt of court yesterday with gardaí also present in the courtroom.

Judge McGovern warned there was no room for “anarchy” in the courts and warned: “If people give undertakings to the court, they have to comply with those.”

The farmer’s lawyer secured a delay on the repossession of the land until the end of the month on the basis that the Department of Agriculture wanted the animals tested before they were moved.