A Cork woman was forced to use her house as security for a loan, after she clocked up more than 200 parking fine violations in Cork city, Cork District Court heard this week.
Ms Michelle Coughlan, Carrig Row, Mitchelstown, received the large number of fines for parking offences committed in Cork city over a number of occasions.
Ms Coughlan, who was working in the city, was fined for parking illegally at the South Mall. The case against the defendant, who was referred to as a familiar name in the parking court, had been adjourned last month.
However, Judge Con O'Leary heard evidence at Cork District Court this week, that the defendant had finally "cleared the slate" with Cork Corporation, having raised the necessary money byre-mortgaging her house.
Her solicitor, Mr Diarmuid Kelleher, said Ms Coughlan paid her dues to the corporation in handing over a bank draft for €5,000 to the authority at City Hall. He said the case had cost his client dearly, as she was forced to use her house as security with a lending institution in order to clear her debts, giving some indication of the extent of the amount involved.
However, solicitor Mr Anthony Murphy, representing the parking fine authority, told the court that the corporation had not received the €5,000 payment and moreover, that there were 23 fresh summonses that were not covered by that sum.
Acknowledging Ms Coughlan's receipt of payment, Judge O'Leary was prepared to give her the benefit of a dismissal under the Probation of Offenders Act. "She has paid €5,000 to the council, in my view that is adequate," he said.