Desperation, confusion and utter sadness reigned at Mullingar’s now monthly repossession court on Monday of this week, January 12, where ten financial institutions sought to repossess a total of 53 homes.
by Ronan Casey
Since November, the banks have tried to repossess over 150 homes in the Mullingar area, and there is no let up as sittings will be heard into July, each one packed full of heartbreaking stories.
In all, four homes in the greater Mullingar area were repossessed by the banks at the County Registrar’s Court sitting on Monday. Dozens of other homes are hanging on a thread of hope as the court has given desperate owners a few weeks’ grace to, literally, get their houses in order.
Two cases were struck out, leaving a total of 47 homes in limbo. In two of these cases, a repossession is around the corner as the owners have fled the country. In at least five cases, a repossession is a formality once missing paperwork and other clerical errors made by the banks legal teams are rectified.
Such is the ferocity and tenacity of the banks at the monthly County Registrar’s Court that even death is no escape from the banks – the family of one deceased man found he was still being pursued to see if he had, in fact, died and if his insurance covers his mortgage. The son of another dead man found out on the morning of the court sitting that his late father’s house was to be repossessed.
Mothers left to raise children, following marriage break-ups, were minutes away from losing their homes. One begged the court to let her stay in the home where she raised her children. The other mum was shell-shocked that a bank she had spoken to only recently to get a new payment plan in place moved against her so soon.
All human life was at the court: young couples, elderly parents there on behalf of ill children, investors, husbands, fathers, wives and pensioners. The court heard of homeowners barricading themselves into their houses and others throwing away the keys, leaving tenants rent free until they too departed.
People not in court were informed if they don’t engage, they will lose their homes “by default”. Solicitors acting for financial institutions sought adjournments for a number of cases, some of which are being renegotiated and may be sorted in just a few months.
In November Topic predicted ‘a tsunami of repossessions’ and this seems to be borne out as, at one point on Monday, the County Registrar admitted “I can’t carry the volume” as legal teams acting on behalf of the banks sought early adjournments. The court was heavy with solicitors and barristers working for the banks.
There were few solicitors or barristers there to represent hard-pressed home-owners.
However, many of these were instead assisted by insolvency professionals and by over a dozen citizens, some under the Westmeath Land League banner, acting out of concern for their fellow citizen.
They offered homeowners free advice on how to stay in their home, or move evictions down the line.
“All people need is time, time to get a plan in place. But the banks are not giving them that,” said Jimmy Duffy, a volunteer who uses time off from a course to help his fellow citizens. “What we’re seeing with these courts is totally wrong. People should be given a chance.”
Mary Walsh says the Court is stacked in favour of the bank and their legal teams. She says she is there “to bring the truth out” and help others. “We don’t want to see evictions happen on the scale they did in the past.”
The Land League is an umbrella of other left-leaning groups and individuals, who have come together in recent months to save homes. But for four families on Monday, their dreams of owning a home are gone. For many others, it’s only a matter of time before their homes are taken back. For hundreds of others set to appear at court between now and July, the tsunami is getting closer.
