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FINE GAEL TD Regina Doherty has called on Finance Minister Michael Noonan to clarify whether homes affected by pyrite will be exempt from the property tax.
The Local Property Tax Bill includes certain exemptions, for example for charities or for those with homes situated in ghost estates. However the bill makes no reference to homes that have been affected by pyrite.
Doherty said it would be “unjust to impose the property tax on the people who already feel their homes are sub-standard, and in some cases inhabitable”. “Simply granting waivers to those living with pyrite homes would ensure that they will not have to pay the property tax until their homes have been fully repaired.”
The TD said she will be writing to the Finance Minister to seek clarification on the matter.
Speaking to TheJournal.ie Doherty said that although the bill mentions exemptions for homes in ghost estates, this does not mean all homes affected will be able to avoid payment.
“The indications are that it will be the same situation as the household charge but there were people who were not given exemptions from that whose estates were unfinished,” she said.
“I think it’s quite simple, the government should come out and say anyone with certification is exempt, these people don’t need the extra stress.”
Priory Hall
Priory Hall resident Liam Boland said that he does not expect to have to pay the tax but if it comes to it he will refuse to pay.
“The property tax is the least of our worries at the moment, to be honest,” he told TheJournal.ie.
“This is our second Christmas in temporary accommodation, we only had two in Priory Hall and there just seems to be no end in sight.”
Liam said he has been told that the local government are currently funding his temporary accommodation and “that kitty is running out”.
“I’m worried we might have to start paying for it ourselves on top of the mortgage for the place we can’t live in,” he said.
Liam and his wife got married in April and he said they are “frustrated” at having to put their lives on hold.
“All of our wedding presents are in storage, we have no pictures on the wall, no personal touches in this place because we don’t know how long we’re staying. We can’t really say this is home.”
“The prospect of having children is put on hold as well, it’s not any kind of environment to bring a child into because we could have to up and move again at any time,” he added.
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I dont understand why they are actually paying the mortage hand back the keys let the banks re posses wash your hands with it all together
Negative equity.
If only life were that simple!!
Ita only not that simple because of te countrys fear around mortage defaulting if everyone in priory hall refused to pay the mortages then the banks would have to listen Its not likethey can throw you out of ur house your already out of your house
@ Jay
They are not handing back the keys because they are probably being fed a load of lies by their banks and the others involved,
BS like
“we will work something out for you if you keep paying”
or
“don’t worry there is a resolution for good paying customers like you”
or
“don’t put your head in the sand”
or
“don’t worry just keep paying”
They are being conned like ever other person in the country with a distressed mortgage.
Imagine that
the banks have the audacity to still collect money on these worthless, rotting, squats??
The government know that a lot of the property during the boom.
They are using the likes of Priory Hall and Gleann Riada as big example to tell people.
“Keep living in your deathtrap”
“Keep paying your overinflated booby trapped mortgage”
“And keep your little mouth shut”
Well with any other household its different its the house you live in when thinks pivk up you may be able to get back on ur feet. In that situation they will litterally never ever ever see the inside of the apt again so explain why you should pay
Sorry
The government know that a lot of the property during the boom was rubbish thrown up by cowboys, but the government declared it inhabitable and signed of on it.
They are using the likes of Priory Hall and Gleann Riada as big example to tell people.
“Keep living in your deathtrap”
“Keep paying your overinflated booby trapped mortgage”
“And keep your little mouth shut”
Jay, I have had a moratorium since our eviction 14 months ago! Almost €15,000 interest has been added onto my mortgage since, completely unsustainable, I have no intention of ever paying another cent for the dump! But the banks do not see it like that, they just see us as everyone else who goes into arrears, there is no legislation to cover people who have been removed from their homes and expected to pay for fresh air! Handing back the keys means then the banks own your place and extracting money then from the authorities who were liable for this mess becomes harder because you have handed over your asset albeit a worthless one! However, I for one will not be living under an umbrella of FEAR for the rest of my days, let the banks just try and come after me, as far as I’m concerned it is a lose lose for them also, they cannot threaten repossession for obvious reasons, they cannot sell it on and is any judge really going to say I was wrong for ceasing payment, I have no home!!!
Paying a mortage for a house youll never ever live in is ludacris anyone in this position should not have ever paid a penny after they were removed
What about high levels of radon?
Showing a picture of priory hall in relation to a story about pyrite is incorrect. The problem with Priory hall was that it wasn’t fire safe. There was no pyrite problem in priory hall.
There is no joined up thinking in the present government, they’re rushing all kinds of vague austerity measures that is crippling the country. The dream of owning your own house will become unreachable for most Irish people.The biggest landlord in the country will be the banks……the ones that we were forced to bail out.
The ones that got us into this mess in the first place now come back to take our houses with the blessing of our government.
Would those houses that were afflicted by pirite not be worth less and therefore be liable for a lower charge?
I agree that it is a terrible situation to be in but I can’t see why the government should pick up the bill. Obviously I do not have a property in this condition but I think that the governments responsibility here is to make someone pref. the insurers responsible. If they took the premium they should be liable for the costs of rectification. Insurers should not have these get outs. They need to be clear on what they are taking the money for.
have your say