Wife of gambler in tears as home seized

A separated mother-of-two cried in court as a county registrar granted a repossession order to KBC Bank for her family home.

The Ennis woman told the Clare Registrar’s Court that KBC Bank “should have done their homework before handing my then husband €210,000 because he was a compulsive gambler at the time”.

She said: “I am here today taking responsibility. Why isn’t the bank taking responsibility? Why would you hand that money over to a compulsive gambler? Why didn’t they do a proper background check on my husband?”.

The woman— who has since separated from her husband — said: “I lost a business, I lost everything over his compulsive gambling, and after that I was on a lone-parent allowance.”

The woman said she was working again, but could not afford the loan repayments of €1,288 per month on an income of €2,000 per month before tax.

County registrar Patrick Wallace said there was €268,000 outstanding on the loan, stating “the amount is insurmountable”.

The mother — who began to weep — agreed, but added: “I have tried my best over the last four years and I asked the HSE and the bank for help, but they didn’t want to know. Sorry for crying. I haven’t stuck my head in the sand over this.”

She added: “I am giving up the home.”

Mr Wallace asked “how long would you like to remain in the home after an order for repossession?” and she replied “for as long as I can please”.

She said her eldest girl was entering puberty and secondary school “and I need stability in our home”.

Mr Wallace granted the order for repossession to KBC Bank and granted a stay of 12 months. Mr Wallace asked: “Are you happy with that length of stay?” The woman said she was.

At the court yesterday, financial institutions had 119 applications for house repossession, with Mr Wallace granting a total of eight re-possession orders.

The figures show Mr Wallace granted three repossession orders to Bank of Ireland, two to EBS, two to KBC, and one to Permanent TSB.

EBS had the highest number of repossession applications at 24; Ulster Bank 20; AIB 20; Permanent TSB 16; Bank of Ireland 10; and KBC 6, with smaller mortgage lenders making up the remainder.

One father of two grown-up children who lost his family home yesterday said outside the court: “It’s wrong that I am being chucked out on the street, but the banks have been bailed out and yes I am bitter about it.”

Mr Wallace granted repossession of the family home against the unemployed construction worker, who owed €290,440 to Bank of Ireland.

The 49-year-old had mortgages on two homes and surrendered the second home to the bank last year.

The man was making repayments of €1 per month on the loan.

In court, the man told Mr Wallace: “Everything was perfect before I lost my job. I never missed a payment. I don’t honestly know what I can do. I have been in the house so long — since 1996 — it is home to me.”

He said: “I asked the bank to consider a writedown, but I never heard anything from them on that. I have answered every letter and every phonecall.”

Mr Wallace said there were “huge arrears” on the loan and it was “unsustainable”.

He said he had no choice but to make the order.