Longboat Quay apartment sold to bidder unaware of fire safety issue

An apartment in the controversial Longboat Quay development has been sold at auction to a bidder who was unaware of the extent of fire safety issues in the building.

The successful bidder bought 305, Longboat Quay for €250,000 at a recent Allsops auction in Dublin.

The development has been the focus of concern for Dublin Fire Brigade, as well as for owners and residents, since major fire safety deficiencies were discovered in May of last year.

Just last month, the fire brigade threatened to have the 298-unit development evacuated if remedial work was not undertaken immediately.

The sale of apartment 305 took just under two minutes at auction in the RDS on September 10. It was initiated by a receiver for the assets of a couple who bought the property in 2007, soon after the Bernard McNamara development was completed.

The new owner said he was shocked when told of the extent of the problems by a resident of the development whom he encountered after he bought the property.

“I didn’t get a chance to view it but I saw it on the paper and went through all the legal documents and thought it was fine,” the owner, who does not want to be identified, told the Irish Examiner.

Longboat Quay: Apartment owners may have to pay millions for remedial fire safety work http://t.co/pc6BN6MTVR pic.twitter.com/zxr2qx2TCc

— Irish Examiner (@irishexaminer) September 8, 2015

He accepts that all the documentation was in order, but still believes that not enough clear information was forthcoming.

“It’s outrageous that they can allow this to go up for sale,” he said.

The apartment is the second in the development to be sold since the issues, first highlighted in the Irish Examiner, came to light.

Another unit sold earlier this year for €400,000.

Major works are expected in the near future to bring the development up to a safe standard, but it is unclear who will foot the bill.

A spokesman for the development’s management company told the Irish Examiner the apartment owners will likely be liable for some of the costs, which have not yet been determined.