Courts / Dublin / Report
'Ignorance of the law is no excuse': landlord ordered to pay max penalty for refusing HAP
Summary
In a decision by the Workplace Relations Commission, landlord Sherman Chan was ordered to pay tenant Olga Burla €15,000, the maximum under the Equal Status Act 2000, after Chan refused to accept State housing assistance payments (HAP) and later evicted Burla, who had become a single parent in January 2024. Burla had been renting from Chan for about two years and faced financial hardship while paying €1,650 a month. She repeatedly asked Chan to apply for HAP, but he declined, claiming he did not want to accept it and feared the local authority would take over the property, a belief he later learned was incorrect. Chan's solicitor argued he was confused about HAP, but the adjudication officer noted that ignorance of the law is no excuse. The award considered Burla's financial loss of €22,109 and the stress caused by the discrimination.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: 'Ignorance of the law is no excuse': landlord ordered to pay max penalty for refusing HAP. Procedural stage: hearing_or_decision
When:
- January 2024 Hearing Or Sentence
- January 2025 Hearing Or Sentence
- 19 August Hearing Or Sentence
- 2025-09-23 Publication
Why: Mr Chan said he made no reference to anti-social behaviour when he issued a notice to quit in January 2024 because he wanted "to be fair" to Ms Burla, and so that she would have longer notice of the eviction. CNI source report
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