A WOMAN was evicted from her home while out collecting her kids from school.
Catherine Hadley from Cork returned home from the school run to find another tenant living in her rented home of six years.
The High Court heard today that on April 25, the new tenant refused to let Ms Hadley into the four-bedroom house in Leap, Glandore, Co Cork.
Patrick Lynch told her that he was the new tenant and showed her a purported residential agreement dated that day.
Ms Hadley shared the home with her fiancé James Brain and their two children.
After being refused entry, she went to stay with her mother in the nearby town of Skibbereen.
The next day she received court orders restraining trespass on the property by Mr Lynch of Ballygarvan and its owner Bartholomew Whelton of Glandore.
Ms Hadley told the court that she got a locksmith to replace new locks on the property and that Mr Lynch attempted to secure re-entry by using an angle grinder on the locks.
Mr Lynch denied this and described himself as a “peaceful and passive man”.
He also said that he considered himself to have lawful possession under the April 25th tenancy agreement with Mr Whelton and that Mr Whelton is an “aged” man unable to attend court and distressed about the “appalling” state of the property.
According to the Irish Times, Mr Justice Caroline Costello warned Mr Lynch that he faces jail if he refuses to comply with orders.
The orders state for him to get out and for Ms Hadley and her family to return.
The judge requested that both defendants get lawyers as the case centred on the Residential Tenancies Act.
After Mr Lynch gave a sworn undertaking not to trespass, she adjourned the matter to next week.
