Solicitor Must Pay €10,000 Rent Arrears for Appeal Rehearing

A solicitor must pay his landlord €10,000 of €20,706 in rent arrears within a week to secure a rehearing of his appeal against eviction from a Temple Bar apartment. Geoffrey Curran gave a sworn undertaking before Dublin District Court to pay the €10,000 for the three-bed property at Blind Quay Apartments, Exchange Street Lower, Dublin 8, within seven days. He also committed to monthly payments of €4,350, comprising €3,350 rent and €1,000 towards arrears, until cleared.

Judge Monika Leech granted Curran’s application for a rehearing before a Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) tribunal, made by solicitor Susan Martin, on these conditions. The court heard Curran was «seriously medically unwell» on December 5th, when his initial appeal proceeded in his absence. He had sought an adjournment earlier on medical and other grounds, including separate Circuit Court proceedings. Curran stated he believed an adjournment was granted and only realized the hearing proceeded when he received the tribunal’s determination in February, alleging a breach of his rights.

The application was opposed by barrister Chris Oonan, representing Robert, David, and John Paul Ranson, who sought enforcement of the tribunal’s decision. The Ransons, as representatives of their late father’s estate, claim the apartment was leased for 500 years under an April 1998 lease, and sublet to Curran in 2020. The tribunal upheld an adjudicator’s decision that a termination notice issued early last year was valid due to Curran’s alleged breach of contract, specifically erecting an unauthorized steel shed on a balcony, which remains.

The judge found Curran’s evidence lacked credibility, noting he is a qualified solicitor who knows his obligations. However, she was «most concerned» by a medical report from December 4th. Based on these medical issues, she granted the rehearing, conditional on the specified payments to the landlords, who have incurred significant financial loss. Separate Circuit Court proceedings involve claims Curran operated the apartment as an Airbnb, which he denies, stating he «from time to time taken paying licensees or guests.» Dublin City Council found contraventions of housing regulations after Curran reported issues, directing structural repairs and addressing mould and water damage.