An application was made by a bank yesterday to repossess the home of a couple who had managed to put down 20 per cent of the price of their home at the height of the boom but who later fell into arrears because the man lost his job.
They were present in court yesterday where the man made emotional pleas to give them “just six months more” in the house they had put all their savings into.
Their lives were now “back on track” and the woman had got a job just two days ago, while he was beginning work too.
Originally Dublin-based, and renting in Dublin, in early 2007 the man had been told to transfer to a job in the southwest and they had put all their savings – in effect a 20 per cent deposit – some €60,000 towards a €320,000 house in Milltown in mid-Kerry.
That was in May 2007, and they were paying back since on a €260,000 mortgage. The house was now worth €140,000.
“In March 2008 I was made redundant . I don’t know what to do . . . We’ve some many things in our life – it’s a mess. We are asking for six months,” the man said. They had children, he added.
The woman said the bank, “EBS Limited” was now asking them to pay back €1,600 a month, when the original agreement had been €1,200 per month.
The serving order for repossession last came before the Tralee Possession and Well-Charging court in April.
County registrar Pádraig Burke urged them to be “realistic “about what they could repay in their negotiations with the bank going forward. He ordered them to produce an up-to-date financial statement to the bank by January 31st, but they should also talk to the county council housing officer in case matters did not work out.
Mr Burke adjourned the matter to February 19th.
Over 60 applications were before the county registrar for repossession yesterday. Some of the properties were buy to lets. Most matters were adjourned because they were on the list for the first time and there is an automatic adjournment. Agreements were being reached in a number of cases.
In one case a carpenter who now worked in a tyre centre had failed to repay €50 as agreed last September on what was in effect a third property, Richard Liston, barrister for KBC Bank Ireland stated. The mortgage was over €150,000 and there had been an agreement in the September court for €50 a week. Effectively the last payment on the mortgage was in September 2009. The bank were now seeking repossession.
A solicitor for the man said he was seeking a final adjournment and this was granted.
The court granted repossession of a house in Loughquittane, Killarney, to Springboard Mortgages after hearing there had been no engagement by the debtor. A mortgage of just over €448,000 had been given in March 2008. The repayments were over €1,300 a month but the last repayment was in 2012 and there had been no contact with the borrower despite repeated letters. Mr Burke granted repossession to the lender.
The registrar adjourned a repossession order sought by Stepstone Mortgages for a family in Lispole who had made no repayments since 2011 on a €220,000 mortgage taken out in January 2008. They were almost €45,000 in arrears last April when the matter came up previously.
Their solicitor pleaded for the repossession not to take place before Christmas as they had small children and Mr Burke granted this.
“They need to contact the housing officer with Kerry County Council. They are not going to hold onto their house,” Mr Burke said.
Four matters were struck out, agreement having been reached to “capitalise” that is add the arrears onto the original mortgage.
In one case a couple had moved back to Poland and the repossession papers needed to be served on their daughter.