No meeting of minds in threatened Trim eviction

A Trim mother-of-two who is at risk of eviction now claims the local town council is refusing to take her money. Single mother of two and part-time creche worker Denise Gorman said she is being unfairly penalised for missing the deadline on filing a rent review form, which needed to be done before 8th December of last year. For missing the deadline, Ms Gorman was put on what she described as "crazy" penalty rent - €40 extra a week, which she is refusing to pay on her Manorlands home. In September, she was issued with an eviction notice which meant she has to leave her home by 9th November. While Meath County Council built the Manorlands houses, the administration of rents is the job of Trim Town Council, which confirmed it had put Ms Gorman on penalty rent. However, Trim town clerk Brian Murphy said that the eviction of Ms Gorman from Manorlands can be avoided. "Putting someone out of their home is the last, absolute last option for us," he said. Ms Gorman claims she sent her son to the town council because of work commitments on Monday 24th October with two weeks' rent, which was refused by the council. "Trim Town Council and Brian Murphy point-blank refused to take the money. He went into the office and a girl rang upstairs and he was refused, which makes no sense considering they want to evict me," said Ms Gorman this week. However, Mr Murphy said that anyone under an eviction order must come to deal with arrears in person and must engage with the council on the full figure. "It's (the eviction order of September this year) the last thing we want to do, we want everyone in arrears to come in and talk to us but it has to be face-to-face and it has to address the full amount of arrears or else people face the prospect (of eviction), which is the last resort," said Mr Murphy. "In housing, we always want to meet people halfway but that means people meeting us halfway; we absolutely don't want to put anyone out of their homes," he added. However, Ms Gorman said she can do no more. "We've met face-to-face already," she said. "There is money coming off the arrears every week. I can't pay anymore, and now he's refused to take cash off me. There's nothing more I can do and now I face eviction," she added.