A COUPLE left homeless after a house deal with Dublin Corporation fell through were awarded £7,000 yesterday. Mr James Leonard and Ms Jeanette Leonard, now of Cooley Road, Drimnagh, had nowhere to live for three months' after giving up their keys as corporation tenants, Dublin Circuit Civil Court heard.
The couple, who have a two year old daughter, were told they had a house in Keeper Road, Drimnagh, under Dublin Corporation's house shared ownership scheme. The corporation was to buy the house and lend the Leonards £23,000 as a mortgage over 25 years. It said the deal would be closed on December 15th, 1992.
Mr Leonard said they had already moved out of their flat in Inchicore and paid the first month's mortgage for Keeper Road before being told the house was unavailable. The owner had pulled out of the contract at the last minute and the corporation was unable to offer the family alternative accommodation.
Ms Leonard told the court the family had to split up and stay with different relatives. The situation caused her a lot of distress and she later had a miscarriage.
She claimed local representatives were unable to help yet after she contacted a solicitor in March, the corporation was able to find the family a temporary flat within a week. The family finally got a house under the shared ownership scheme in September, nine months after first being told one was ready.
Judge Dominic Lynch said the corporation was responsible for the inconvenience and upset suffered by the Leonards.