Court backs squatter who rents out the house he’s claiming

An auctioneer and B&B owner who broke into a widow's house 30 years ago can continue to use it, even though he rents it out.

Desmond Grogan used his position as an auctioneer to find information about the house which was left empty after the death of an 80-year-old barrister, Alice Dolan, in mid-1981.

Grogan promptly broke when he confirmed that Alice had no next of kin. He has achieved squatter's rights because he lived in the property on Enniskerry Road in Phibsborough, Dublin for over the required 12 year period.

The Chief State Solicitor was taking action as the personal representative of Alice's estate to claim the house for the State. The three judges in the case ruled that even though scrounger Grogan no longer lives there he could continue to 'use' it.

Grogan managed to pull a legal 'fast one' by making sure he was protected by the Statute of Limitations. The State can normally act outside the statute, but Grogan argued that the Chief State Solicitor was not acting as the State, but as a personal representative.

If the legislation around Squatter's rights had any legitimacy before the Grogan has well and truly blown it all away. The whole system now seems to be a complete joke - a bad one at that.