A case against property developer Marc Godart, in which Dublin City Council is alleging the use of three city centre properties for short-term letting without the required planning permission, is to be heard before Dublin District Court in April.
When the case came before Judge Anthony Halpin on Tuesday, solicitor Michael Quinlan, for the council, sought a “most urgent hearing date” for the case, which he said involved not just short-term letting but also a “capacity issue” in relation to the properties.
Stephen Wilson BL, for Mr Godart, Denise Godart, Green Label Property Investments Ltd and Capel Grand Inn Ltd, asked that the cases be adjourned to a date in February.
“The matters are being dealt with and there are discussions in place,” he said. It was his “hope and expectation” that the matters before the court would be dealt with by the February date.
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The case involves three separate sets of prosecutions related to the letting of accommodation at 11 Capel Street, Dublin 1, a ground floor unit at The Foundry, Beaver Street, Dublin 1, and a ground floor unit at the Forge, Railway Street, Dublin 1, allegedly in contravention of section 151 of the Planning and Development Acts 2000 to 2023, all on dates in June 2023.
Judge Halpin set a date for hearing on April 8th next, but also put the case in for mention on February 20th next.
Mr Godart, who is from Luxembourg, is before the court as a director of Green Label Property Investments and secretary of Capel Grand Inn. His mother, Denise Godart, is before the court as a director of Green Label Property Investments Ltd. Persons or entities found guilty of breaches of section 151 can face a fine of up to €5,000, or up to six months imprisonment for a person.
Since July 2019, planning permission has been required for the short-term letting of property in Dublin City that is not a principal private residence.
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