Can “Riverwood 30” Eviction Go Ahead? SPECIAL to LOCAL NEWS by Paul Kelly
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E RE Tel 087672 7060 F E Constituency office: ERI PAP NFIN S G H DROGHEDA MALL, W L E A N S L & FINGLAS VILLAGE A T C C A O (opposite Shamrock) B L R 1 A . O N D E V T O LOCAL NORTH EDITION 7th February 2019 Phone: 087 252 4064 • Email: [email protected] • www.localnews.ie Stoneybatter l Phibsboro l Cabra l Ashtown l Santry l Finglas l Glnasnevin l Drumconedra l Ballymuwn l Inner City l Tyrrelsts own l Corduff l Mulhuddart l Blanchardstown l Ongar l Tyrrellstown l Clonsilla Can “Riverwood 30” Eviction Go Ahead? SPECIAL TO LOCAL NEWS by Paul Kelly AN EXPERT in property law — who acts for vulture funds and US billionaire “super landlords” — has told Local News that re - cent NAMA eviction notices served on thirty Dublin 15 ten - ants are “close to the wire”, that is, legally questionable. Now, Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy (FG, Dublin Bay South), in a Parliamentary Question (PQ) reply, appears to have his own doubts about the ousting of the “Riverwood 30” from nine apartments in River - wood Hall. It appears to violate the so- called “Tyrrelstown Law”, a ten - The ILAC Shopping Centre, on Parnell Street has added the ISO tor outstanding retail standards ant protection measure passed to its list of awards. Pictured celebrating are left to right ; Michelle Dolan, Administration following an attempted mass Assistant, Billy Reid, Centre Manager, Richie Corry, Operations Manager, Ann Sheehy, eviction in Tyrrelstown, north Marketing Consultant, and Vivienne Murtagh, QEHS Consultant, CG Business Consulting Dublin, in early 2016. However, as that same Dáil stown Road, will be homeless terpretation of a legal excep - News. answer made clear, neither as and from the end of tion to tenant protections in “They keep on the right Minister Murphy (FG, Dublin March/mid April. The prop - the “Tyrrelstown Law”. This side of Tyrrelstown. And they Bay South) nor Finance Minis - erty lawyer contacted by Local exception allows evictions if make sure that when the ter Paschal Donohue, TD (FG, News offered an insider’s in - (a) a landlord can claim that music stops, someone like Dublin Central) is minded to sight as to how NAMA skirts keeping tenancies going is [vulture funds] Cerberus or stop the Riverwood 30 from the law. “onerous” or if (b) the units Roundtree [Capital] is holding the parcel.” being thrown out of their homes NAMA, he said cleared are fewer in number and onto the street. • distances itself politically than 10. by acquiring loans from bank - In Riverwood the applica - HIGHEST PRICE rupt builders, and then mov - ble number is 10 if a vacant HOMELESS APRIL This, he said, gives NAMA ing out of the picture as unit is counted; but 9 — just the “nothing to do with us” ex - Thirty tenants, including vulture funds, liquidators and barely legally permissible — if cuse when it came to evictions families with young children, others get into the nitty-gritty it is not. or rent hikes. occupying nine units in the of evictions “Normally, NAMA is very complex just off Carpenter - • makes a pro-landlord in - careful,” the insider told Local continued on page 2 NO MORE TV BILLS EVER SPECIAL OFFER €250 IRISH COMPANY fully install ed EXCELLENT AFTERCARE SERVICE Tel: 083 3133133 2 | THE LOCAL NEWS nance Minister continued from page 1 able for that pur - pose,” she added. Donohue. However, he did concede that SHOCKING the Tyrrelstown Law was open to interpre - Jack Chambers, tation: TD (FF, Dublin West) “It was the legal raised the Riverwood advice at the time [he 30 issue with Housing does not specify at Minister Eoghan what time, or during Murphy in a PQ on what eviction] Tuesday, January 29: around the number “Page 24 of the of properties at any programme for Gov - given time [sic] . How - ernment states that ever, the spirit of the LEO’S HEARD NOTHING: no one in his constituency has mentioned the evictions, the Government will law has to be ob - the Taoiseach claimed…while constituency colleague Jack Chambers (right) has request NAMA to re - served . If it is not been deluged with protests. NAMA’s behaviour is “shocking and inappropriate”, view its business being observed, that Chambers says plans to encourage it is exactly what we on to focus on NAMA] found out [about the of finding somewhere NEAR THE PARK: these apartments are just two miles northwest of Phoenix Park, to be more ambitious will look at.” [Empha - are in fact actively in - March/April evic - else.” providing an easy commute for residents working in town in the area of housing sis added.] volved in actions tions] and the cheap - Riverwood Hall is However, there are half of the estate of ment to secure the delivery.” which are reducing est quote we’re getting about 3 miles from two problems with the developer. This property. Yet, Chambers OBLIQUE CRITICISM the supply of afford - is €1700 and €1800, Leo Varadkar’s Dublin that, the lawyer ex - leaves NAMA without The spokeswoman pointed out, nine able housing and…are which is a big jump West office in Ongar. plained. its favourite “nothing went on to deny that households and up to It is most unusual making homes even [from about €1000],” Bizarrely, a spokesper - more expensive to buy First, NAMA knew to do with us” excuse. NAMA has any re - 30 residents received for Minister Murphy Ms Byrne said. son for the Taoiseach or rent.” in Tyrrelstown in 2016 A NAMA spokes - sponsibility to ten - eviction notices: to offer even oblique claimed that no one Meanwhile wor - and again in River - woman at first told ants, here or in other “It is shocking! criticism of NAMA’s from the constituency ried resident Emma BIZARRE wood today, that its Local News that the cases. She said their One of the residents actions. had approached him Byrne and her partner buyer would engage government “could sole legal obligation was notified by the His less-than- Alan Kiely have been "If we had have about Riverwood Hall. in mass evictions. not buy” Riverwood was to get the best receiver that NAMA ringing endorsement renting in Riverwood known this was com - If anyone does, she Second, River - Hall on behalf of price for NAMA- was one of the main — in particular his for three years. They ing around the corner said, the Taoiseach wood Hall is unusual Housing Minister owned properties or parties to this evic - speculation that the described the timing after Christmas we “will look in to the in that NAMA are Eoghan Murphy, thus loan books. tion. It is highly inap - spirit of the law “is of the evictions as wouldn’t have spent matter and respond to making less than their keeping the tenants in However, she propriate that NAMA, not being observed” as a State agency, is — suggests that “ridiculous”: so much. Now we’re any requests for assis - usual efforts to dis - place. agreed that, of late, "We’ve been look - looking at an increase tance made in the tance themselves She then conceded the agency has been circumventing the lawyers employed by NAMA and the vul - ing around since we in rent and the stress normal way.” from the evictions. In - that any buyer — in - given other responsi - law, in the context of the Residential Ten - tures may not have deed, written eviction cluding the Minister bilities. Indeed the ancies Act and the the last word on the notices cite NAMA’s — could make a bid NAMA website and Tyrrelstown amend - Riverwood evictions. authority. for the apartments. Annual Report boast ment…” Already, Deputy NAMA is now However, she said about the units they Minister Murphy, Chambers have been working with liquida - “NAMA could be have allocated to so - replying, said that joined by politicians tors Grant Thornton sued” if they appeared cial housing. NAMA’s actions came of all parties in con - www.blackhorsetyres.ie to sell the block at the to be working in any “But Riverwood within the brief of Fi - demning the eviction highest price on be - way with the govern - Hall may not be suit - of the Riverwood 30. Dessie Ellis, TD (SF, BEST PRICES Dublin North West) said that NAMA’s ac - HIGH QUALITY LOW COST TYRES ON NEW TYRES tions were “a scan - New & Second Hand Part-Worn Tyres dal”. 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