Courts

Judge gives landlord Marc Godart nine days to pay more than €13,000 in damages to two former tenants

RTB found Godart ‘unlawfully evicted’ Diana Jere and Andre Buchanan from property in Dublin 1 in December 2022

The court found Andre Buchanan and Diana Gere were entitled to €13,563 in damages. Photograph: Gráinne Ní Aodha/PA wire
Tom Tuite
Tue Jul 09 2024 - 15:30

A judge has given Luxembourg landlord Marc Godart nine days to pay more than €13,000 in damages to two of his former Dublin tenants.

Judge Marie Quirke heard on Tuesday that the “substance of the matter has been resolved” after the two ex-tenants launched enforcement proceedings to compel him to pay. Their compensation has gone unpaid for a year and seven months.

In February last year, Dublin District Court directed the businessman to comply with an earlier Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) ruling that Diana Jere and Andre Buchanan were entitled to €13,563 damages.

The RTB had given its findings in December 2022 over their “unlawful eviction” from a rented property on Emmet Street, Dublin 1.

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Mr Godart, who has significant property holdings in Ireland, was the alleged landlord of the property.

His former tenants launched enforcement proceedings at Dublin District Court to secure an order to compel him to pay.

Their counsel, Liam Bell, said he understood from the respondent’s lawyer, Darragh Haugh, that “the matter is not going to trouble the court” and he sought an adjournment until next week.

Mr Haugh said that the case would then only be mentioned for “small housekeeping matters”, adding that “the substance of the matter has been resolved”.

Judge Marie Quirke granted an adjournment until July 18th. Mr Godart was not in court for the proceedings.

Last month, Ms Lizet Peña-Herrera, another former tenant, received compensation from Green Label Short Lets, a property company directed by Mr Godart.

The Bolivian psychologist, who has lived in Ireland since 2008, won an order in the District Court for payment of an RTB award, which was adjudicated in December 2022.

The RTB had ordered green Label Short Lets to pay €15,433 to her because of her illegal eviction from a house on Vintage Court, Cork Street, Dublin 8. The award went unpaid until she eventually took a case in the High Court.

Green Label Short Lets Ltd is subject to further enforcement proceedings by five individuals who had rented rooms at a property in Fairview, Dublin.

They are seeking an order to comply with an RTB ruling last August, which ordered the company to pay them combined damages of about €54,000.