A PROTEST AGAINST the selling of property in legal dispute was held at Knight Frank Auctioneers in Dublin yesterday.
The organisers called on the auctioneers to sign an agreement to cease selling properties that are in litigation or are being sold without the consent of the owners.
Gardaí were called to the scene but protesters maintained it was a peaceful protest.
They asked the company to sign up to what they called the “industry standard” agreement, which Allsop Auctioneers agreed to in February. The deal would see no properties for sale where there is a legal dispute in connection with the proposed sale between the registered owner and the bank or receiver.
In a surprising turn of events, Senator David Norris passed by the demonstration and protesters told them of their plight, with one woman, Margaret Hanoran, explaining her situation about losing her family home.
“This is what you don’t know in the Dáil, people are so afraid,” she said, adding: “I’m over the fear, I’m not afraid anymore.”
Senator Norris
“Good for you – you are a wonderful woman,” said Norris, before planting a kiss on her cheek.
He said she was very courageous for standing up and said he couldn’t imagine what it was like to lose your home.
“Well I’m not leaving the farm,” she said, “they’ll have to take me out in a box”.
Eager to find out what the situation was, Norris asked, “Are they in there?”, before walking up the steps of the auctioneers, seeking answers.
Norris spoke to a staff member at the auctioneers and to the crowd of protestors, stating that it was terrible to see evictions and the selling of homes. He noted that people can’t blame staff, but added that it was the policy of companies and the banks that was causing such distress to people.
He concluded:
The banks are the stinkers – it’s the policy from the top.
The organisers of the protest said that no agreement with the company had been signed.
TheJournal.ie did contact Knight Frank Auctioneers for comment, but no one had responded by the time of publishing.
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