THE dramatic increase in the number of house repossession applications in Clare, from seven to 120 over the last 12 months, has been described as “startling”. The Court Service has confirmed 11 orders for house possession were granted last month, compared to none in September 2013. It has emerged that at least one of these 11 orders was granted by consent, while over 33 of the current civil bills for possession are first-time applications, as cases can be adjourned a number of times before they are brought for a full hearing. MABS money advisor, Liam O’Connell, who is a qualified solicitor, stated the decision to close a legal loophole last year, following a 2009 High Court case involving Start Mortgages versus Gunne, made it much easier for lenders to repossess properties. In addition, he explained there is an increasing trend where banks are now deeming mortgages to be unsustainable. The president of the Clare Law Association, Mairéad Doyle, said banks …
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