A KERRY couple whose mortgage interest supplement was “cut off” this month by the Department of Social Protection had their home repossessed at the High Court yesterday.
The couple, who have four children, owed €20,000 in arrears to subprime lender GE Capital Woodchester Homeloans Ltd.
Counsel for the lender told Ms Justice Elizabeth Dunne that a €135,000 loan was granted to the couple in 2004 with repayments of €900 a month.
They began defaulting on their repayments in 2006, but had made efforts to keep their arrears down. Although legal action was initiated in 2007, the case had been adjourned 15 times.
The husband was now working part-time and the wife was unemployed, the court was told. They had been granted mortgage interest supplement, a social welfare benefit that pays the interest element of a mortgage, but this month that payment had been “cut off”, counsel for the lender said.
An offer from the couple to pay €300 a month after the supplement ceased was rejected by the lender. The couple had indicated through a solicitor they would not consent to the order for possession, but they were not in a position to offer any defence.
Ms Justice Dunne said it appeared the defendants did not have much hope or prospect of dealing with matters “despite their best efforts”. After hearing that they had four children, she granted the order for possession with a stay of execution of eight months.
A second case taken by the same lender involved a family home in Co Limerick.
The judge granted the order with a stay of six months.
