Bizarre though it sounds, Derek O’Boyle can’t wait to start paying property tax.

He doesn’t pay because he is exempt and the reason is that his estate is unfinished.

Maudlin Vale in Trim, Co Meath, was meant to be, and almost is, a fine development.

A few minutes from schools, the scenic River Boyne, Trim Castle and the centre of a thriving town, Derek was delighted to move there in 2007.

It was expensive, 2007 being the year house prices peaked, but it seemed a good buy.

“The estate was to be built in three phases. We moved in as part of the second phase so there were about 60 houses at that stage and 40 more to go,” Derek said.

“As soon as we moved in, the developer got into trouble financially and everything just stopped.

“Maudlin Vale became like a time capsule to the Celtic Tiger.”

The site for phase three was already excavated when work stopped, and it began to look like an abandoned junk yard – a grubby mess of debris, potholes, mud and puddles.

Worse than that, many of the completed and occupied homes were left with unfinished footpaths, unsurfaced roads, uncovered drains and sparse street lighting.

“Every time it rained, the roads flooded and nights were pitch dark.

“You never saw children playing. We didn’t let our own out except to the back garden. It was dangerous.”

The residents turned to Meath County Council for help but here’s where the legalities became tricky.

The site changed hands several times but as long as it remained in private ownership and the planning permission on it was live, the council could do little to intervene.

In 2011, with permission due to expire, the residents spotted a chance to take action.

“We put together a war fund of about €10,000 so we could engage a lawyer and surveyor and when the-then owner applied for permission for the last phase, we objected.

“It sounds counter-intuitive but if he didn’t get permission, the council could step in so at least we’d get our part of the estate finished.

“We didn’t want another developer promising to complete the whole estate and be left waiting again.”

Their intuition proved correct. The developer got permission – and then didn’t proceed with the works.

“Some improvements were made and some hazards removed but it was nowhere near a finished job.

“We must be the only residents in the country who actually want to pay property tax because it would mean this is all over.”

After another six years when permission was to expire again, another application was lodged by another developer who got a five-year extension. It runs out next September.

So now the residents are waiting again. The site is currently registered to investments firm Davy, but it is understood that this is on behalf of a private client. Davy said it could not comment on client matters.

Meath County Council confirmed it could not take charge of the estate while planning was live but stressed the conditions attached to the current permission stipulated that the entire estate be finished, not just the additional houses.

A new owner is rumoured to be on the horizon and, if correct, it is a company with a record of completing both new and unfinished estates and Derek almost feels hopeful.

“We’ve been here before so I won’t get my hopes up yet. We’re still in limbo but it’s maybe a better limbo than a few months ago.”