A house built without planning permission in Co Meath has been seized from its owners, bringing to an end a 20 year legal saga over the property.
Meath County Council, assisted by gardaí, took control of the property on Monday following court proceedings.
Chris and Rose Murray mounted five futile retention bids and three failed appeals to keep the 588 sq m (6,220 sq ft) home intact.
Last November they brought their case to the Supreme Court but that court rejected their application for a further heading.
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A previous court hearing heard they had built the house at Faughan Hill, Bohermeen, Navan in “wilful breach” of planning laws.
Meath County Council took a case against the couple in 2007 under Section 160 of the Planning Act to remove any unauthorised development of their land. They were given a year to vacate the property.
When the couple refused to vacate, the council took contempt proceedings. That was settled on the basis that the Murrays would vacate within two years so as to allow the council to demolish the house. However, three days before they were due to leave, the Murrays took a case against the council claiming they had new evidence that invalidated the council’s planning refusals.
In 2024 the High Court granted a council application to strike out the Murrays’ case as “frivolous, vexatious and an abuse of process”.
An appeal by the Murrays was dismissed the following year.
Judge Senan Allen said, when giving the three judge Court of Appeal’s judgment, said after Chris Murray Murray’s 2006 application for permission to build a house on the lands was refused, the couple, “undaunted, and in wilful breach of the planning laws”, built a house anyway that was twice the size of the house for which permission was refused.
The judge said the couple built a 6,220 sq ft house without planning permission, “well knew” they would need permission “but hoped they would get away with it”.
In a ruling last November, the Supreme Court rejected the couple’s further appeal, leaving them with no further legal avenue.
