Estate agent ‘misled woman over proceeds of apartment sale’

A Co Cavan estate agent sold a Dublin woman’s holiday apartment in Turkey before “falsely and dishonestly misleading her and misappropriating” the €42,000 proceeds in a personal AIB bank account, a judge was told yesterday.

Barrister Clodagh Gartlan said in the Circuit Civil court that Sean Boylan, of 5 Annalee Grove, Cootehill, Co Cavan, had “continuously deceived” Marian Ryan, of Rushbrook View, Templeogue, Dublin, about the sale through his company M&M Marketing Strategies Limited.

Ms Gartlan told Judge Jacqueline Linnane it was feared Boylan may have already transferred the money elsewhere from his personal account.

She said Ms Ryan had reported to gardaí the misappropriation by Mr Boylan of the sale proceeds due to her and the police were conducting an investigation into the matter.

“The gardaí have opened an investigation into the company in respect of apparent misappropriation of funds from the sale of other overseas properties conducted by the company, in particular in Bulgaria,” Ms Gartlan said.

Mr Boylan, who represented himself on the basis his solicitor was busy in another court, asked Judge Linnane for an adjournment which she refused. He said the money had not been paid into his personal AIB account but into an account “including the name Property in Bulgaria Ltd.”