#Property Disputes

[headlinehive]

Widow loses life savings after ‘firetrap’ developer fails to repay €150k loan

A controversial developer who asked to borrow the life savings of an 81-year-old widow has failed to repay the money after half a decade of broken promises.

In 2017, the widow gave €160,000 in cash to developer Paddy Byrne, who built the Millfield Manor estate in Co. Kildare where six houses burnt to the ground in under 30 minutes in 2015.

After the widow entrusted €160,000 of her life savings to developer Paddy Byrne in 2017, expecting the money to be repaid, she has been left in a troubling situation. For five years, Byrne has failed to return the money, offering only broken promises and no tangible action to settle the debt. This has only compounded concerns surrounding Byrne, who is also known for constructing the ill-fated Millfield Manor estate in Co. Kildare, where a fire in 2015 devastated six homes in under 30 minutes.

The widow's case has become emblematic of a broader frustration with Byrne’s alleged unethical practices, raising alarms within the community about the risks posed by developers who fail to uphold their commitments. Despite the widow’s efforts to seek justice, Byrne's lack of response reflects a deeper issue of accountability in the property sector, particularly when it comes to protecting vulnerable individuals like the elderly.

[raizadalaw]

How to Find the Right Attorney for Your Property Dispute

Finding the right attorney for a property dispute can be challenging. This article simplifies the process by highlighting the essential qualities to look for in a property lawyer, how to evaluate their experience, and tips for making an informed decision. With the right legal support, you can confidently protect your property rights.

Read more :https://medium.com/@raizadalawassociates1/how-to-find-the-right-attorney-for-your-property-dispute-3521672a3527

[lexlawuk]

Challenging Possession of Property by Fixed Charge LPA Receivers

Fixed charge receivership is an important debt recovery tool for creditors in England & Wales, offering a legal avenue to reclaim outstanding debts secured against specific assets. The appointment of LPA Receivers often sparks debate surrounding property rights and debtor protections. In this article, we look at the legal landscape of fixed charge receivership in the UK, exploring its statutory…

[lmplaw]

What is real estate litigation?

As described in the article, real estate litigation involves a wide range of legal conflicts involving real property. These conflicts can range from disagreements during property acquisitions to disagreements over ownership rights and issues such as border disputes, title faults, and environmental concerns.

Read more...

[lawofficeofryansshipp]

West Palm Beach Real Estate Attorneys | 561.699.0399

West Palm Beach Real Estate Attorneys The Role Of A West Palm Beach Real Estate Attorney If you’re thinking of buying or selling a property in West Palm Beach or Florida, you might be feeling overwhelmed with all the legal jargon and paperwork involved. That’s where a real estate attorney comes in. They can guide you through the complex process and make sure everything is done legally and to your…

[propertyexperttips]

PROPERTY DISPUTES IN INDIA

India has a large number of pending property disputes, solving such cases can take a long time upto 6 months to 15 years. Such disputes can arise due to family members and sellers/purchasers of land and even landlord and tenant.

The act that governs such property disputes is the Transfer of Property Act. The act governs the transfer of property in India and forms the legal basis for determining and resolving disputes.

In India, property disputes can be resolved through the following two ways – 

1. Settlement – 

You can choose to settle to resolve the disputes through settlement if family members are involved in the property dispute. The settlement involves all the stakeholders sitting across the table and mutually deciding how the assets would be divided. Such saves the cost of hiring a lawyer and court expenses. 

2. Litigation – 

It is nothing but approaching the courts to resolve property disputes. This involves lawyers, court costs, and more often than not substantial amount of delay. It involves court processes and procedures and may take a long time to resolve the dispute. It is advised to go for litigation only if you have all the documents, including the title deed, and your lawyer advises you that have a strong chance to win. 

It advised to hire a lawyer or attorney or a legal adviser before taking any of the steps in order to get rid of such property frauds and avoiding long tenure of court proceedings and secure your rights in the property.

However, settlement seems to be a silent way of undoing such frauds without any hassles and long waiting period.

[wevaad]

Online Dispute Resolution

[alwaysbewoke]

[nordfjording]

once when i lived in the south of norway i ended up in a discussion with friends from the southeast (relatively flat area) because their idea of a 'bad road' was a winding road so when i complained about roads in the west being bad they thought i meant there were a lot of turns. and i had to tell them about when someone in my home town owned a shire horse that caused municipal govt a lot of trouble because when the horse walked on public roads the asphalt would crack and crumble bc the ground was too soft to support the weight.

so yknow. we live in different contexts i guess.

[bangkokattorney]

Property and Real Estate Disputes

Thailand's real estate market has experienced significant growth in recent years, attracting both domestic and international investors. However, this growth has also led to an increase in property and real estate disputes. Understanding the unique legal and cultural factors at play in Thailand is crucial for navigating these challenges.

Common Causes of Property Disputes in Thailand

Foreign Ownership Restrictions: Thailand imposes restrictions on foreign ownership of land, which can lead to complex legal structures and disputes.

Land Titles and Registration: Issues related to land titles and registration, such as inaccuracies or fraudulent claims, can cause significant problems.

Construction Defects: Disputes can arise due to poor construction quality, delays, or non-compliance with building codes.

Lease Agreements: Conflicts between landlords and tenants can occur over rent payments, maintenance obligations, or lease termination.

Cultural Differences: Misunderstandings and disputes can arise due to cultural differences between Thai and foreign parties.

Resolving Property Disputes in Thailand

Resolving property disputes in Thailand can be a complex process, requiring careful consideration of local laws and customs. Common methods include:

Negotiation: Parties can attempt to resolve disputes through direct negotiations, with or without the assistance of legal counsel.

Mediation: A neutral third party, called a mediator, can facilitate discussions and help the parties reach a mutually agreeable solution.

Arbitration: A neutral third party, called an arbitrator, can hear evidence and render a binding decision.

Litigation: In cases where negotiation, mediation, or arbitration fail, the parties may resort to litigation in Thai courts.

Key Considerations for Foreign Investors

Foreign investors in Thailand should be aware of the following key considerations:

Foreign Ownership Restrictions: Understand the limitations on foreign ownership of land and explore legal structures, such as leasehold arrangements, to circumvent these restrictions.

Due Diligence: Conduct thorough due diligence on any property before purchase, including verifying land titles, zoning regulations, and construction permits.

Legal Counsel: Seek advice from qualified legal counsel with expertise in Thai property law to navigate the complexities of the legal system.

Cultural Sensitivity: Be mindful of cultural differences and avoid misunderstandings that could lead to disputes.

By understanding the common causes of property disputes in Thailand and employing appropriate dispute resolution strategies, foreign investors can mitigate risks and protect their interests in the Thai real estate market.

[buzzblend]

Widow loses life savings after ‘firetrap’ developer fails to repay €150k loan

A controversial developer who asked to borrow the life savings of an 81-year-old widow has failed to repay the money after half a decade of broken promises.

In 2017, the widow gave €160,000 in cash to developer Paddy Byrne, who built the Millfield Manor estate in Co. Kildare where six houses burnt to the ground in under 30 minutes in 2015.

The cash was for a penthouse apartment in Dublin she planned to move into.

The development was built by Victoria Homes, a company that was established by Mr Byrne’s sister Joan just before Mr Byrne was precluded from acting as a company director in Ireland for five years.

After viewing plans for the €630,000 property, in a development called Greygates in Mount Merrion, the pensioner withdrew the cash from her bank and gave it to Mr Byrne.

Some €10,000 of this was a deposit, with the remaining €150,000 provided on the advice of a third party who was known to Mr Byrne and the widow, who said the cash would secure a good price.

According to a handwritten receipt, signed by Mr Byrne, the money was provided on May 29, 2017.

But in November 2017 the widow, a retired primary school teacher, found a more suitable home and asked for her money back.

Mr Byrne agreed to this, saying he would have no problem selling the penthouse and promptly refunded the €10,000 deposit.

However, he asked that the remaining €150,000 be treated as a 14-month loan and promised to pay a 10% annual interest rate.

This effectively turned the widow into an unwitting creditor of Victoria Homes.

According to a handwritten agreement, signed by Mr Byrne, the loan was to be ‘paid back from the sales proceeds’ of the penthouse at his Greygates development.

More than half a decade later, the loan remains unpaid – even after the widow made a criminal complaint to gardaí and took legal action to secure a judgement.

As it is a civil matter, the Garda investigation faltered. And because various other unpaid creditors had previously secured judgements against Victoria Homes, the widow is now unlikely to get her savings back. During the Celtic Tiger years, Paddy Byrne was renowned for his €2.4m Sikorsky helicopter and sponsorship of the Irish National Hunt festival.

But in 2011 his then-firm, Barrack Homes, went bust and Mr Byrne declared bankruptcy in Britain with debts of €100m.

He was banned from acting as a UK director for 10 years in 2012.

This ban was scheduled to end in 2022 – and ran the full course – but it only applied in the UK and Wales.

According to the UK insolvency register today, Mr Byrne’s discharge from UK bankruptcy is ‘suspended indefinitely’ until the fulfilment of conditions made in a 2012 court order.

Separately, in Ireland, he was also restricted from acting as a director for a period of five years – which ended in January 2018.

Mr Byrne is also known for building the Millfield Manor estate in Newbridge, Co. Kildare, where half a dozen houses were razed to the ground within 30 minutes in 2015.

A report into the blaze found ‘major and life-threatening serious shortfalls and discrepancies and deviations from the minimum requirements of the national mandatory building regulations’ at Mr Byrne’s development.

Today, having exited bankruptcy, Mr Byrne is best known as the figurehead behind Victoria Homes and associated businesses, which was set up by his sister and her husband in December 2012, while he was bankrupt.

Mr Byrne was not a director or owner of Victoria Homes during the period of his bankruptcy. But, in 2017, Mr Byrne’s sister and her husband stepped back from Victoria Homes, transferring their shares to an offshore entity in Belize city called Victoria Holdings.

In November 2022, the main lenders to Victoria Homes – the Lotus Development Group – forced the firm into receivership for the second time.

In 2020, Lotus had forced a previous short-lived receivership before agreeing a deal that saw Victoria Homes begin trading normally once more.

Today, Mr Byrne appears to have left Victoria Homes behind and seems to be focusing on a new firm instead.

Set up in the summer of 2020, Branach Developments is entirely owned by Mr Byrne and is not encumbered by any bank debt or mortgages as Victoria Homes was.

According to the latest filed accounts, for the year ended 2021, Branach Developments held ‘tangible assets’ of €210,000 and ‘stocks’ of €600,000.

The accounts also show that, in 2021, Mr Byrne provided the company with an interest-free loan of €1,024,438.

Just last week Mr Byrne’s new firm was one of the winners at the National Property Awards sponsored by the Business Post and Deloitte, among others.

At the award ceremony, Branach Developments took home the prize for best sustainability initiative of the year.

However, Mr Byrne, who shuns publicity and is rarely photographed, does not appear to have attended the ceremony and the award was accepted by a colleague.

This week the Irish Mail on Sunday sent queries to Mr Byrne via his mobile phone, his email at Victoria Homes and his email at Branach Developments, without response.

Queries to his solicitor and the separate accountancy firms representing Victoria Homes and Branach Developments also went unanswered as did calls to the numbers on the websites of these firms.

Mr Byrne also previously declined to respond to questions from the MoS relating to the establishment of Victoria Homes during the period of his bankruptcy.

At the time, Mr Byrne appeared to be living at Ballinrahin House, close to Rathangan on the border of Offaly and Kildare.

The home is a luxury build on 26 acres of stud-railed paddocks with six stables and a 1.3km tree-lined avenue behind electric gates.

The property was on sale for €2.8m in 2009, but land registry records confirm that, in November 2014, it was sold to Victoria Homes for a knockdown price of €484,000.

Ownership of Ballinrahin House was transferred offshore to Victoria Holdings in Belize on April 10, 2018, just weeks before Mr Byrne was due to repay the €150,000 back to the widow.

[eretzyisrael]

“Few places in Jerusalem speak of the larger conflict being waged over the city more than the apartment of 68-year-old Nora Ghaith-Sub Laban,” avers the Associated Press’ Isabel DeBre today (“As a lengthy legal battle ends, a Palestinian family braces for eviction from Jerusalem home“).

Whether or not that is true, what is plainly apparent is that the Associated Press’ repeated failure to accurately cover the Sub Laban story speaks of a larger problem plaguing media coverage of Israeli-Palestinian affairs.

In 2015, the leading news service depicted the Sub Laban’s real estate saga as a story of Israeli dispossession and displacement of Palestinians. “They (Israelis) are trying to uproot us from Jerusalem, they are stealing the houses, the trees and the stones of the city,” AP’s Karin Laub and Mohammed Daraghmeh quoted Nora Sub Laban at the time.

Initially, the 2015 article did not contain a single word about the family’s failure to return to the rented home following lengthy renovations completed in 2001, an absence which jeopardized their status as “protected tenants.” Only after CAMERA contacted editors did AP add a paragraph about the court’s critical finding that the family did not reside in the home for years after 2001, which was the determining factor in the court’s ruling against the Sub Labans’ claim.

At the time, research by CAMERA’s Gideon Shaviv revealed:

The magistrate court (34656-11-10) in a decision upheld by the district court (28083-12-14) found that the family had not returned to the apartment in 2001. According to the court from 2001-2010 (when the property was transferred to the trust) the family did not live in the apartment. From 2010 until 2014, they had only “pretended” to live in the apartment. This decision was based on the following evidence: Additionally, a private investigator testified that he had interviewed neighbors and none of them knew the Sub-Labans. The court found in 2014 that the Sub-Labans have been living with their extended family in another apartment for 30 years, since 1984. The article references the period of 1984 to 2001, stating “Throughout this period, the family rented an apartment elsewhere in the city.” But it does not mention that the family continued to live elsewhere for more than a dozen additional years.

A significant CAMERA-prompted 2016 New York Times editor’s note addressing, in part, the Sub Laban case, stated:

In response to 2015 communication from CAMERA, AP added the following information, buried deep in the 22nd and 23rd paragraphs:

Last year, a magistrate court approved the eviction order. The court’s decision was based on a finding that the apartment had remained empty between 2001 and 2010, saying there was little to no use of water or electricity during that time. The family says the ruling relied heavily on settler testimony, and that it lived in the building throughout the period. Sub-Laban said the home was empty at times because he and his siblings went to university in Jordan and their parents would come to visit, but that otherwise the house was in constant use and the family paid rent. He said there were problems with utilities and that they sometimes had to rely on a neighbor to get water.

Yet even this moderate improvement ignores the fact that the court’s finding about the empty apartment applied not only from 2001 to 2010, but also to the period of 2010 to 2014, when the family was found to have fraudulently staged their residence. The family’s response that the court “relied heavily on settler testimony” does not address the fact that they failed to bring any witnesses to testify on their behalf.

Fast forward to today’s coverage, which completely ignores even the incomplete information about the court’s findings regarding the more limited 2001 to 2010 absence. Signaling deteriorating coverage, DeBre now maintains: “As Muslims of the same Muslim Quarter apartment for seven decades, Nora’s family gained the status of protected tenants, putting Israeli law on their side.”

Ignoring the already underreported absence of 2001 to 2010 which AP belatedly cited in 2015, today AP now notes only trips abroad in 2019, stating: 

Most recently, the Kollel Galicia endowment argued in 2019 that Nora’s absence form her house that year could clear the way for their eviction. Nor said the house was empty at times in 2019 because she was hospitalized with a back injury and later recovered in the houses of her adult children, whom Israeli authorities had previously expelled from the Old City apartment.

In a separate reprise of AP’s substantive shortcomings in 2015 coverage, DeBre’s article errs:

“It’s Jewish property and they want it back,” [Arieh King] said. “The (Ghaith-Sub Labans) don’t have any right to this property.” There is no equivalent right in Israel for hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who fled or were forced from their homes during the war surrounding Israel’s establishment to return to lost properties.

First, DeBre is falsely invoking the Israeli Property Law. Since the Sub Labans did not own the property in question, even by their own admission, the Israeli Property Law, which is relevant only in cases of ownership, is completely irrelevant to the Sub Labans’ case.

Second, the claim about disparity in reclaiming property rights is completely disingenuous. Jews who, in 1948, lost their land now under Palestinian control equally have no right to return to their lost properties. For instance, as CAMERA’s colleague Alex Safian has noted, the Dheisheh refugee camp is built on Jewish-owned land and the original Jewish owners have no hope of returning to their lost property.

Moreover, if AP is interested in probing disparity in property rights, it should examine how Palestinian Arabs who lost land in Israel’s establishment in 1948 are entitled to compensation, while no such consideration was ever extended to the 850,000 Jews who fled or were forced out of Arab lands, leaving behind all of their property, businesses and assets.

[ultravioart]

It's also kind of funny that Hater seems to have a type for "Green skin, pink eyes, tall, shoulder pads, sharp ears, etc..." considering Peepers and the watchdogs are basically just... pink eyes. Red technically, but with the pink/purple skin it may elicit enough "cute!" vibes that Hater hired them purely on aesthetics of "this looks totally cool and kawaii to have as minions" lmao It also just occurred to me than since the ol' red eyes are technically red heads, Hater probably doesn't mind orange hair (though he seems to have a preference for blondes). and I can just imagine Peepers slightly freaking out about that since Wander is Orange furred... with a mighty green hat... and Wander adores hater... and Wander is TALLER than Peepers..... lol.... someone is scared of being replaced.

[the-yearning-astronaut]

TFW you're finally asked for a job interview, but the more you look into the company the more you question whether you'd be ok with working for them