The High Court will today be asked to rescind an order for the sale of the late Liam Lawlor's house after his estate paid off a €265,000 legal bill.
Solicitor Dermot Coyne will ask the court to vacate an earlier order to sell Mr Lawlor's €4 million-plus family home in Lucan because the debt owed to him (Mr Coyne) for legal advice has been settled in full.
However, the planning tribunal, which is owed €575,000 arising from an unsuccessful legal action taken by the late politician against the inquiry, is expected to oppose any move by the court to terminate the proceedings. The tribunal has concerns that it may never be paid the debt as ownership of Mr Lawlor's house, Somerton, and surrounding property transferred to his wife Hazel before his death.
The tribunal is believed to be angry that Mr Lawlor's estate has paid off Mr Coyne, who was first in line for payment, without also discharging its debt to the tribunal.
Ironically, the tribunal was the first party to seek to register a judgment against Mr Lawlor for non-payment of debts. However, its application fell back in the queue when the former chairman, Mr Justice Feargus Flood, was replaced by three new members chaired by Judge Alan Mahon, forcing a change of title on the legal documents. While Mr Coyne pressed ahead with his claim, the tribunal did not pursue its order to sell the house. As a result, it must argue today to keep the proceedings alive.
Developer Séamus Ross, of Menolly Homes, who is owed €154,000, is also involved as a party to the current proceedings.
Separately, Hazel Lawlor is taking a legal challenge against the tribunal over its treatment of her husband, who died in a car crash in Moscow in October 2005. Ms Lawlor, who is due to be called as a witness in future modules of the tribunal, claims the inquiry unfairly targeted her husband.
