Limerick Strand apartment residents claim "victory" in stand off with owners
Campaigners who fought on behalf of the residents who had been served with eviction notices at the upmarket Strand apartment complex in Limerick, have said "people power has won out" after the apartment owners agreed to withdraw the orders to vacate the properties.
A statement released tonight on behalf the owners Sova Properties Ltd, stated: "Sova Limited has written to tenants at the Strand apartment complex in Limerick to confirm its commitment to respecting the spirit and the letter of the upcoming Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Act 2016 which is being brought into effect next week.
To further underpin that commitment Sova has withdrawn all termination notices that are currently outstanding in respect of tenants at the Strand apartments in Limerick City."
"Sova has also indicated that any future apartment sales at the Strand will be progressed in a measured manner and at a pace that would enable any tenants wishing to purchase apartments at market price to do so."
Sova Properties Ltd, a subsidiary of Lalco Properties Ltd, entered NAMA in 2010 with net liabilities of €64m and €118m in back loans.
NAMA sold the debt to US vulture fund Oaktree Capital.
It's believed around 30 residents have already walked away from their apartments after receiving similar eviction notices over the past twelve months.
The latest batch of eviction orders are said to involve around 16 residents who were ordered before Christmas to vacate their homes.
An amendment to the Residential Tenancies Act was brought through the Oireachtas last December as part of the Government's rental strategy.
The provision requires that tenancies are protected where a landlord or investor wishes to sell more than 10 properties in a single development, as happened at Tyrrelstown, Dublin, in 2016.
According to a statement by the Department of Housing, "the decision by the owners comes after contact from Minister Coveney in which he asked that the spirit of the Tyrrelstown amendment which does not take effect until next week, would be respected to ensure that the existing tenancies are unaffected by transfer of ownership".
"Sova Properties replied formally to the Minister to confirm that it would respect the change and that it would be writing to tenants to confirm withdrawal of the original notices."
The Minister welcomed the decision as providing "an important reassurance for households who had been facing significant uncertainty".
Mr Coveney said: "There was no legal requirement for Sova to take this approach so I commend them for doing what was the socially responsible thing by respecting the will of the Government and the Oireachtas."
However, AAA councillor Cian Prendiville, who had organised residents to fight the eviction orders, claimed that according to legal advice they had discovered the eviction letters see "invalid", and that the residents had "challenged" the owners over this.
"We knew this would be coming, as the notices themselves were invalid, and we had begun to challenge them.
"This shows that when people get organised and stand up for themselves, they can defeat these vulture funds and profit-hungry landlords."
In response, Sova stated: "Sova had no knowledge of any legal challenge and accordingly this was not a factor in its decision to withdraw notices.
"Had there been a question mark over the validity of notices then Sova could simply have reissued notices at any time and not withdrawn them as it has chosen to do.”
While celebrating "a victory for people power", Cllr Prendiville argued the residents still faced the prospect of loosing their homes: "We need all the TDs to support next week's (AAA) Anti-Eviction Bill to ensure this cannot happen again.
"Minister Coveney's argument that the new 'Tyrellstown Amendment' will prevent future evictions like this is spurious however; Under that amendment landlords are allowed to evict up to 10 tenants at a time".
Cllr Prendiville claimed property companies were continuing to evict and sell off between five and eight tenants at a time in apartment complexes, selling the apartments, "and then evicting more".
"They prefer this as it allows them to ratchet up the price; We need a total ban on these evictions," he added.
Strand resident, Tara Robinson, who received a letter informing her she had to leave her home of seven years by April 19th, as it was to be sold at auction, said: "We've seen nothing official; We don't really know what this means. We have had nothing official from Sova."
Marie Hussey, a well-known Limerick cheese shop and cafe cafe owner, who also received an eviction notice from Sova, was overjoyed: "I'm amazed; the small person has a voice."
"What a victory, I'm speechless; it's incredible. I'm shell-shocked."
She added: "I hope we can stay in our homes."
