A CHARGE in favour of businessman Ben Dunne was submitted recently for registration against land in Newcastle, Co Dublin, owned by Jim Mansfield, the owner and developer of the Citywest complex.
The amount of money involved is understood to be less than €500,000 and was to allow Mr Mansfield settle a pressing debt.
Mr Mansfield and Mr Dunne are understood to have had business dealings in the past and Mr Dunne was approached by Mr Mansfield back in the 1990s when he first began buying land in west Dublin.
The company that operates the Citywest Hotel and conference complex, HSS, was placed into receivership by Bank of Scotland (Ireland) on July 6th.
The next day applications were lodged with the Property Registration Office for the registration of a charge in the name of Mr Dunne against three folios of land in Co Dublin. The charges are being processed.
On July 9th further applications to have charges in favour of BHK Nominees Ltd were lodged. They were lodged against the same three portfolios as the applications for Mr Dunne, as well as three other folios.
Attempts to contact Mr Mansfield through Citywest were unsuccessful. Mr Dunne did not comment. BHK Nominees is owned in equal parts by Ronan Hannigan and Colman Bermingham, solicitors with Noel Smyth Partners.
The firm acts for Mr Mansfield. Mr Hannigan said he could not comment. The charge applications were lodged by Noel Smyth Partners.
Martin Ferris, of Ferris Associates, is receiver to HSS, an unlimited company owned by two companies based in the Isle of Man. The Citywest Hotel and the other HSS facilities continue to operate.
Mr Mansfield (71), built the Citywest complex from scratch. It is a regular venue for Fianna Fáil ardfheiseanna and GAA functions and more recently has attracted some high-profile sports events as well as an exhibition of artefacts salvaged from the Titanic.
Mr Mansfield had regular brushes with the planning authorities when constructing the complex.
He built the conference centre on the site without planning permission but subsequently got retention permission from An Bord Pleanála.
The businessman’s holdings include the Weston Aerodrome near Lucan, the West Park Hotel in Dublin, and the PGA national golf course at Palmerstown House, in Kildare.
In June Mr Mansfield’s son, James Mansfield jnr, was the subject of a €6.32 million judgment order issued to AIB. The order arose from a loan advanced to him and three others in order to buy development land in Co Meath.
