By Claire Corrigan
As Topic arrived at the house of Shane Dunne (30) from Knocksimon, Killucan and his partner ,Valerie Sheehan on Tuesday of this week, it’s clear that the stress of the last month has been bearing down heavily on the pair who were beside themselves with worry for their children.
The are like any other young working couple- Shane is a carpenter, while Valerie is a Laundary Assistant at a nursing home and the couple have two children Jason and Jamie aged 10 and 15.
However they may soon be without a place to live after they were informed that sheriffs will be arriving at their door on 31 May, just one week from now, to remove them and the children from the premises.
Shane’s grandmother built the house in 1980 after his grandfather died. In 2009, his grandmother died leaving the house to his mother Deirdre, who passed away at just 41, something that clearly still very much pains him.
Shane inherited the house and since his mother died, he wanted to pay the mortgage, but was told he could not do so.
“The won’t let me take over the existing mortgage because it is not in my name. It was in my mother’s name and that of her partner and he is now departed.
The house was used a guarantee for the loan and now they won’t let me take it over,” Shane told Topic.
Shane’s grandmother built the house without a mortgage after she sold a family farm. In 2004, Shane’s mother took out a mortgage with her then partner to carry out some renovations on the house. “My mother was sick at that time. She was on dialysis.”
Shane’s aunt Maureen who came to speak with Topic along with other members of his family, said that when the mortgage was taken out, her sister did not put her partner’s name on the deeds. “That’s the way it remains now. The point is, when Shane probated the house, he got it in his name and part of the will condition was that he inherited the house, but he also inherited the debt. Right up to today (Tuesday) he has gone through all the legal channels in the right way resulting in huge costs but we are still here in this situation.”
EVICTION IN ONE WEEK
Shane said that the family had been informed that they are to be evicted from their home next Wednesday, 31 May. “The case came to the High Court last November after all the different other channels had been exhausted and that day, the Judge granted the eviction order. For the first time then, after the eviction order, KBC agreed to meet with Shane, and his legal team.”
Shane said that he had requested a meeting with subprime lender KBC 7 years ago. “I met the in February last and all they said was ‘We cannot give you the house, it has to be sold, and you can buy it back.” So why did they not tell me that 7 years ago instead of allowing me to go through all that, and pay all the legal fees? I have paid an awful lot. I’d have paid half of what was owed by this stage. The mortgage was only about €115,000, but with interest it now stands at €177,000.”
Maureen said interest was continuously added even though attempts were being made to resolve the situation.“ They kept piling up the interest. They never negotiated with Shane until the eviction order was granted.”
“Shane met three representatives of KBC and that day, they told him “We’re very sorry, its a very unusual case but the condition of the loan states that the house has to be sold, for us to get our money.” After seven years of legal wrangling, and all the money that was spent during that time, that was all they could say? Why on day one did KBC not inform Shane that the loan contained a condition which meant the property must be sold?”
