‘My late husband’s wedding ring was in that house’ – landlord ‘disposed of’ €40,000 of evicted widow’s possessions

Gabriela Lake and her youngest daughter were unlawfully evicted from their rented home in Skibbereen, Co Cork, last October and have been fighting for the past six months to get their possessions back.

Landlord Colin O’Sullivan this week wrote to Ms Lake’s solicitor, saying he has disposed of her belongings as he “was not in a financial position to pay for storage”.

“I have made a statement to the gardaí regarding the necessity to dispose of same,” he said.

“Trusting you will inform your client of his information as she is currently planning for collection of personal items and furniture next weekend on April 28/29.”

When Ms Lake and her family moved into the property in October 2018, it was unfurnished, and most of the furniture put into the place belonged to her.

Sentimental items belonging to her late husband, valuable clothing and jewellery and important documents all remained in the house.

The mother of three took a case with the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB), which awarded her €14,000. That decision was appealed by the landlord and a hearing took place.

The RTB again ruled in her favour and increased the award to €18,500, also directing Mr O’Sullivan to return her belongings. That order was made on March 11.

Despite repeated efforts to contact him, he did not respond or allow Ms Lake back into the property. All her belongings were thrown into a heap in a garage connected to the house.

Ms Lake contacted local gardaí on numerous occasions, but was told they could not accompany her to collect her stuff as it was a “civil matter”.

“How can this be considered a civil matter when my belongings have now allegedly been destroyed and disposed of?” she said.

“My husband’s wedding ring was in that house, with sentimental items from when my children were young and furniture belonging to me worth thousands of euro. I feel like this is retaliation for taking a case with the RTB.”

In a statement, a garda spokesperson said: “Investigations into these matters are ongoing. We have no further information available at this time.”

As Ms Lake was illegally evicted from the property without warning and not allowed back in, she could not retrieve her car keys. In December 2022, she found her Fiat car burnt out. Her Chrysler minivan is also missing.

The RTB ruled it was satisfied on the balance of probabilities that the landlord was responsible for the loss and damage to the two vehicles after he did not contest the evidence at the hearing.

A witness who called to the property with Ms Lake’s daughter gave evidence to the RTB that Mr O’Sullivan said “there was no way he was going to allow Ms Lake back into the dwelling, that he was going to put the tenants’ belongings in the shed and was going to burn the cars as they were only junk”.

Gardaí said they received a report of an alleged incident of criminal damage at a property in Skibbereen last December 28 and investigations are continuing.

A dispute arose last September when Ms Lake and her family were on an extended holiday in America for several months. She had asked one of her daughters to transfer the rent while she was away.

During the summer, her daughter’s friend died by suicide, and due to the stress in her personal life she had forgotten to deposit the rent for July and August.

Mr O’Sullivan contacted Ms Lake in September asking about the rent payments and warning he would dump her belongings within two weeks.

She replied apologising and transferred the outstanding two months’ rent. She also paid September’s rent and heard nothing further from Mr O’Sullivan – until her youngest daughter returned to the house in October and found he was living there.

He refused her entry. Gardaí were called to the property and she was able to retrieve some items, including her late father’s ashes.

In his evidence to the RTB, Mr O’Sullivan claimed Ms Lake was in rent arrears and accused her of causing significant damage to the property. He provided a “bill of quantities” he claimed listed the damage that was repaired, amounting to €19,000.

The RTB ruled he had failed to provide sufficient evidence that the tenants breached their obligations. Ms Lake also gave evidence that the majority of furniture he was seeking to replace belonged to her.

The RTB said he had not established any damage was beyond normal wear and tear and was ordered to pay his former tenants €18,500.

The Irish Independentcontacted Mr O’Sullivan a number of times for comment. He responded by text to say: “I got railroaded by the RTB. Now the tenant is using the paper.”