GAZETTE
APRIL 1986
Practice Notes
Mortgagees' Solicitors &
Their Borrowers —
Conflict of Interest —
Follow-Up
A practice note published in a recent issue of the
Gazette
pointed to the dangers attaching to any
transaction, wherein solicitors for a lending bank would
also be involved in representing or advising a borrowing
customer in the same matter. Such note high-lighted the
wisdom of ensuring that the parties should receive
adequate independent advices, and referred specifically
to an English decision vis.
National Westminster Bank
Limited
-v-
Morgan.
While the House of Lords has since reversed the
decision of the Court of Appeal in the
Morgan
Case,
which was based on an earlier Court of Appeal decision
in the case of
Lloyds Bank Limited
-v-
Bundy,
it should
not be assumed that Irish Courts would automatically
follow the English line of authority. The High Court of
Ontario, and, perhaps, more significantly, the High
Court of Australia, Australia's highest court, have both
followed the
Bundy
decision, and their authority might
at least be persuasive to our Supreme Court.
In the recent case of
Kings North Trust Ltd.
-v-
Bell
and others
[1986] 1 WLR 119, the Court of Appeal in
England was faced with a situation where a lending
institution, through its own solicitors and the
borrower's solicitors, had entrusted to the borrower the
execution of a consent to a mortgage by the borrower's
spouse. It held that, in the circumstances, the borrower
had acted as agent of the lending institution, which was,
accordingly, bound by his actions, and therefore could
not enforce the Mortgage Deed against the spouse, who
had been induced to sign by the fraudulent representa-
tion of the borrower. This line of authority clearly
suggests that, if either the lending institution's solicitor
or the borrower's solicitor had procured the consent of
the spouse, without explaining to her the precise reason
why the security was being sought, the institution would
not be able to enforce the security. This decision
confirms the Conveyancing Committee in its earlier
recommendation, which was that solicitors acting for
banks should not merely advise the customer that it
would be unwise for the solicitor to act for or advise the
customer in the matter but should also advise the bank
of the wisdom of ensuring that the customer and the
bank receive adequate independent advice.
•
Land Act 1965
County Boroughs, Boroughs,
Urban Districts, Towns
and Non-Municipal Towns
For the purposes of Certificates under Section 45 of
the Land Act 1965, the following is a correct listing of
County Boroughs, Boroughs, Urban districts and
Towns, and Non-Municipal Towns as at November
1985. This listing supersedes the list published in the
Gazette
of November, 1985.
County Boroughs:
Cork, Dublin, Galway, Limerick, Waterford.
Boroughs:
Clonmel, Drogheda, Kilkenny, Sligo, Wexford,
Dun Laoghaire.
Urban Districts:
Arklow, Athlone, Athy, Ballina, Ballinasloe, Birr,
Bray, Buncrana, Bundoran, Carlow, Carrickma-
cross, Carrick-on-Suir, Cashel, Castlebar, Castle-
blaney, Cavan, Ceanannus Mor, Clonakilty, Clones,
Cobh, Dundalk, Dungarvan, Ennis, Enniscorthy,
Fermoy, Killarney, Kilrush, Kinsale, Letterkenny,
Listowel, Longford, Macroom, Mallow, Midleton,
Monaghan, Naas, Navan, Nenagh, New Ross,
Skibbereen, Templemore, Thurles, Tipperary, Tralee,
Trim, Tullamore, Westport, Wicklow, Youghal.
Towns:
Ardee,
Balbriggan,
Ballybay,
Ballyshannon,
Bandon, Bantry, Belturbet, Boyle, Callan, Cootehill,
Droichead Nua, (Co. Kildare), Edenderry, Fethard,
(Co. Tipperary), Gorey, Granard, Kilkee, Lismore,
Loughrea, Mountmellick, Muinebeag, Mullingar,
Newcastlewest, Passage West, Portlaoise, Rathkeale,
Roscommon, Tramore, Tuam.
Non-Municipal
towns:
Abbeyfeale, Abbeyleix, Athenry, Bailieborough,
Ballaghaderreen, Ballinrobe, Ballybofey, Bally-
bunion, Ballyhaunis, Banagher, Blanchardstown,
Blarney, Cahir, Caherciveen, Carndonagh-, Carrick-
on-Shannon, Castlecomer-Donaguile, Castleisland,
Castlereagh, Celbridge, Clara, Claremorris, Clifden,
Clondalkin, Dingle, Donegal, Dunmanway, Ennis-
timon,
Gort,
Graiguenamanagh-Tinnahinch,
Greystones-Delgany, Kanturk, Kenmare, Kildare,
Killorglin, Killybegs, Kilmallock, Lucan-Dodds-
borough, Malahide, Maynooth, MHlstreet, Mitchels-
town, Moate, Monasterevin, Mountrath, Moville,
Portarlington,
Portlaw,
Rathdrum,
Rathluirc,
Roscrea, Rush, Skerries, Swinford,
Swords,
Tallaght, Thomastown, Tullow.
•
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