A VICAR’S wife who is at the centre of a ground rent payments row in Rosses Point, Co Sligo, has spoken out about the controversy, saying her estate would continue to “help” residents buy out their commitments.
Heather Chave-Cox, a part-owner of the ground rents, admitted yesterday that one letter was issued to a resident giving 28 days’ notice to pay or quit.
The Middleton estate, in which she is a shareholder, was in touch with other homeowners and would help them to buy their ground rent, she added.
Earlier this week a number of householders in Rosses Point said they were alarmed at receiving letters from a lawyer’s firm saying the real owners considered them to be “wrongfully in possession of their property”.
Mrs Chave-Cox, whose husband Guy is a Church of England vicar in Barnstable, Devon, claims descent from the Middleton family.
Many residents in Rosses Point, having traced Middleton family members across the globe in the 1970s, reached a deal where many bought their ground rent for sums of around £100. But some residents were not party to the agreement.
Mrs Chave-Cox denied at the weekend authorising a solicitor to write ordering that homeowners who still owed ground rent be ordered out. But in an e-mail statement yesterday, she confirmed one such letter was written. She said: “Only one 28-day notice letter was sent to a Rosses Point resident in July. It was one of three that solicitors wrote, all concerning the same empty house...”
Mrs Chave-Cox added: “Where homeowners have a right to buy ground rent, the estate will continue to help them to do so... Our title records show which properties this would apply to. Those without such a right would be considered according to the circumstances. The Middleton estate’s interest is not only a matter of ground rents.”
Clarification:
In an article in the edition of August 23rd last, concerning property in Rosses Point, Co Sligo, it was stated that a Church of England vicar, Rev Chave-Cox and his wife were claiming rights to property there through an interest in the Middleton Estate. Revd Guy Chave-Cox has not laid claim to any land in Rosses Point. In fact, it is Mrs Chave-Cox only who has an interest in the Middleton Estate.
It was also stated that a number of home-owners received solicitors' letters containing a 28-day notice to quit their property.
Only one such letter was sent and it was not issued due to any non-payment of ground rent. Solicitors P O'Connor and Son have confirmed that Mr Joe Carter of Howley Carter Co. does not represent the recipient of any 28-day notice letter.
The article also stated that Mrs Chave-Cox was at Rosses Point checking what land the Middleton Estate has rights to. Mrs Chave-Cox has pointed out that she took measurements of buildings in need of repair whilst in the locality on holiday with her family.
The article stated correctly that most of the Middleton family left Ireland up to 90 years ago. Mrs Chave-Cox has pointed out that the majority holding of the estate was in Irish hands less than 20 years ago.
Any distress caused by the errors is regretted.