A recent High Court decision in Ireland highlights the care that
needs to be taken in property repossession claims by lenders where
a borrower's principal dwelling house
("PDH") is involved (Allied Irish
Bank plc v Buckley [2019] IEHC 97, Simons J).
Outline of facts and outcome
The borrower had charged a plot of land in favour of the bank as
security for a loan that was granted for the purposes of the
borrower's farming business. The plot of land included the
borrower's PDH. Although it is not entirely clear from the
judgment, it appears the bank was on notice when the loan was
entered into, that the plot included the borrower's PDH.
The borrower defaulted and the bank (in correspondence) demanded
repossession of the property - excluding the PDH. The bank
accordingly considered that it did not have to comply with the
Central Bank of Ireland's Code of Conduct on Mortgage Arrears
("CCMA"). CCMA, in brief, imposes a
moratorium on a lender seeking to repossess