Company issues legal threat to resident of Limerick retirement village

THE managing director of a Limerick retirement village has threatened one of its residents with legal action as hostilities intensify over a proposed hike in rent.

Occupants of the Park Retirement Village in Castletroy have been told they cannot hold meetings on site, while a residents committee member has had his key fob deactivated for certain areas of the complex, with the company claiming he is “trespassing” in areas where he should not be.

The dispute between residents and the management company – first revealed in the Limerick Leader – comes with dozens of retired people told to expect steep rental hikes, two people facing eviction, and complaints of a downgrading of services at the facility adjacent to the entrance to UL.

Residents have held several meetings to try and campaign against the proposed rises, and have met in the clubhouse within the facility.

But speaking this week, one of the residents’ committee members, Dr Kevin Ryan, claims the management company is clamping down on this, threatening to restrict access to the clubhouse.

Local Fianna Fail TD Willie O’Dea has described the standoff as “simply intolerable” and is contacting the council as he believes the Park Retirement Village owners are in breach of their planning permission.

In a letter to Dr Ryan, seen by the Limerick Leader, Edel Madden, the managing director of CRV Park Ltd, wrote: “You have no authority or no entitlement to hold a meeting within our premises. Unless you confirm the meeting is cancelled, the clubhouse will be locked.”

Despite this warning, the meeting went ahead, and Ms Madden then sent a further letter, claiming he had “no authority” to enter Sylvan House, the part of the complex in which the clubhouse is located.

“Your actions constitute a clear trespass of our property. Should you ever do so again, legal action will follow. In addition, you should be aware that we are currently reviewing the full implications of your actions and the consequences may indeed impact upon your tenancy,” he said.

Dr Ryan said he will not back down, saying that he has heard residents crying over this standoff.

Speaking on RTE’s Drivetime earlier this week, he said: “I found it distressing to hear people crying. We have people here who have a number of intellectual disabilities and they were very frightened of being kicked out of their homes, as were a lot of the older residents. I found that really shocking.”

Residents claim in the last few months, services have been curtailed, including 24-hour security reduced down to mobile patrols, the loss of an on-site caretaker, as well as the elimination of a clubhouse co-ordinator which provided activities for those present.

Any activities like art, music and Zumba which used to be provided free of charge are now payable by residents.

“They’ve gone downhill so fast, so many things have been removed,” Dr Ryan said, “One very egregious one is on December 2, a letter was issued, saying the practice of leaving refuse outside our doors will cease. What that means is the refuse service we depended on, especially for people with restricted ability was being abolished with no-one being told about it or it being discussed.”

“It’s not what people expected, as they were told when they got here, there would be 24 hour services,” the University of Limerick academic added.

The management company did not return requests for comment.

Last November, the company said significant work was needed to raise the development to a “satisfactory standard” .They conceded this would mean some residents would need to move, while they pledged to address other concerns.