Courts / Ireland / Report
'Very intimidating' landlord ordered to pay HAP recipient €15k
2023-03-08
Hearing Or Decision
Summary
In a 2023 Workplace Relations Commission hearing, tenant Magdelena Kotecka claimed that landlord Michael Woodlock, who had previously refused to sign Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) paperwork, called her home in 2020 demanding the full rent after her HAP payments had stopped. Kotecka said she had been able to meet the rent with her terminally ill ex‑husband's help until his death in September 2021, after which she could only afford €100 a week and later €50. Woodlock allegedly threatened to evict her if she could not pay the full amount, and Kotecka reported feeling "very intimidating" and pressured into paying the full rent from May 2020. The tribunal found Woodlock's conduct "at the upper end of the scale" of discrimination and awarded Kotecka the maximum €15,000 compensation under the Equal Status Act 2000.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: 'Very intimidating' landlord ordered to pay HAP recipient €15k. Procedural stage: hearing_or_decision
When:
- September 2021 Other
- February 2017 Other
- August 2017 Incident
- September 2017 Other
- April 2020 Other
- May 2020 Other
- January 2022 Other
- 2020 and 2021 Other
- 2023-03-08 Publication
Why: She said she found her landlord "very intimidating" and paid the full rent starting in May 2020 "because of the pressure" from Mr Woodlock. CNI source report
Topics
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