More judgments against Lawlor

Two more judgments have been registered against the home of former Fianna Fáil TD Mr Liam Lawlor. The total registered against the Lucan, Co Dublin home is now €848,745.

The latest judgments are from the Flood tribunal, which had earlier registered judgments totalling more than €350,000, and from the builder Mr Seamus Ross, of Menolly Homes and Menolly Properties Ltd.

All of the judgments against Mr Lawlor's home arise from legal bills which have to be paid.

Mr Lawlor's home, Somerton, a large Georgian house on eight acres, is worth well in excess of the total amount which is now registered against it. The judgment mortgages have to be settled before Mr Lawlor can receive the proceeds from any sale of the property.

He has said he has no intention of selling his home. Asked yesterday if he had known about the latest judgments, Mr Lawlor said: "There's a rake of them there. I really haven't been that much interested in what they are putting in."

The latest judgment registered on behalf of the tribunal is for €78,846. The judgment registered on behalf of Mr Ross is for €154,415 and arises from costs incurred during a Supreme Court hearing in December 2001.

The court dismissed a claim by Mr Lawlor that he had an agreement with Mr Ross whereby he would get a 20 per cent stake in a joint venture company set up to acquire and develop lands bought for €19 million in west Co Dublin.

Mr Ross said a document which Mr Lawlor alleged was evidence of a concluded agreement, was in fact evidence of a discussion which was tentative.

The court said the fact that the question of how the venture would be financed was left for discussion at a later date, meant there was no concluded contract.

Last year the Flood tribunal registered judgments for more than €350,000 against Mr Lawlor's home. They arose from legal fees incurred by the tribunal in battles with Mr Lawlor in the High Court and Supreme Court during 2001 and 2002.

Earlier this year Mr Lawlor's former solicitor, Mr Dermot Coyne, who has a practice in Lucan, Co Dublin, registered a mortgage for €265,384 arising from fees yet to be paid and incurred during clashes with the tribunal.