Mother of five concedes to repossession order in two months

A mother of five “sports-mad” boys said that she does not know how she will tell them that they are going to lose their home.

The “homemaker” was speaking outside the repossession court in Ennis, where she agreed that Clare registrar Patrick Wallace could make a repossession order on the family home in two months’ time.

The woman — along with her estranged husband — owe AIB subsidiary Haven Mortgages Ltd €486,000, and are €172,000 in arrears.

She confirmed to the court there has not been a repayment since 2010 on the mortgage that required monthly repayments of €1,810.

She said her former husband left the family home more than four years ago and she does not have any income to pay the mortgage.

The mother told Mr Wallace she gets money from her elderly parents’ pensions to help feed her sons.

Outside court, she said that she has been unable to open any of the demand letters that she has received from the bank.

“It is very stressful,” she said. “I just put them into a drawer. I can’t read them. I just can’t cope. I don’t open them. I had to open the letter from the bank for today as it was registered.”

Mr Wallace said that he would put a stay of 12 months on the repossession order when he makes the order.

Outside court,she spoke of the trauma losing their home will have on her boys.

“It is their home, it is going to be devastating,” she said. “I don’t even want to think about it.”

The woman told Mr Wallace that she gets “very little maintenance” from her former husband to support the children. Her former husband was also listed as a party in the case but did not appear in court.

Unrepresented in court, the woman told Mr Wallace: “It is very difficult at the moment, the boys are very hands-on. It is quite demanding and I have to be there for them.”

In reply, Mr Wallace said: “They are your priority anyway.”

In response, she said: “I am the primary carer. It is difficult to keep it altogether. I am not in a position to pay anything, I would have to borrow money to pay the mortgage. I don’t get much sleep at night but I have to be strong for my children.

“It is a headache — it is a lot of stress. I just want it all finished — it is going on a long time. I am just not in a position to go to work full time. I have to be there for my children.”

In reply to Mr Wallace asking whether she had any objection to him making a repossession order, she said: “Definitely not. It is just heartache. I want to move on now — I can’t pay that kind of money.”

The woman said that she does not know where they will go after the house is repossessed. She said that there are no local authority homes in her area.

“It will be hard for the children,” she said. “The house is their stability. They love their surroundings. They love their house. The house will be the major blow, I make up for the daddy. The house is close to the hurling pitch. Imagine closing the door on their own home after so many years? It is all they know.”

The woman said that she was advised by Money Advice & Budgeting Service to surrender the home as she has no disposable income.

She said: “Mr Wallace was very lenient in the case.”

Throughout the morning in court, Mr Wallace granted six repossession orders to financial institutions.