According to a judge in the High Court, Marc Godart, a contentious landlord from Luxembourg, part of a company along with his family, could be entangled in fraudulent money transfers out of Ireland. The presiding judge characterised the company’s conduct towards one particular tenant as glaringly deplorable and thoroughly indefensible, suggesting that Mr Godart believes he can casually evict the tenants if they raise concerns over overcrowding.
Justice Brian Cregan made these statements at the beginning of a court motion on behalf of Lizet Pena-Herrera, a psychology professional hailing from Bolivia. The Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) had awarded her a total of €15,433 late in 2022 against Godart’s company, Green Label Short Lets Ltd. The compensation was granted as a result of her unlawful eviction earlier the same year from a rented room in a four-bedroom residence in Vintage Court, Cork Street, Dublin 8, for which she was paying €470 per month.
According to Mr Godart, the entirety of their Irish income has to be transferred to Luxembourg due to their family-owned corporate structure. The judge described the conduct of Marc Godart’s company towards a tenant as seriously unacceptable. Additionally, landlord and letting agent Marc Godart is facing various civil and criminal court cases.
Ms Pena-Herrera was evicted and her belongings removed from her room in her absence, following a complaint she made regarding overcrowding. After the awarded payments hadn’t been received, she was able to secure a judgment order from the District Court, including an order for costs, which to this day remains unsettled.
Lawyer Liam Bell, under the instruction of Eoghan McMahon from McGrath Mullen solicitors, Dublin, is intending to question Mr Godart (35), his father René Godart (71), and his mother Denise Godart, formerly Wester (64), all domiciled in Luxembourg, in court under oath about Green Label Short Lets’ fiscal transactions.
Mr Godart stated in an affidavit that the company is unable to repay the debt owed to Ms Pena-Herrera and, given the situation, he should not be compelled to respond to inquiries in court. He attributed the firm’s inability to pay to the Covid pandemic, which resulted in a significant decline in demand for housing from international visitors, and to certain regulations implemented by Dublin City Council regarding short-term leasing.
Landowner Marc Godart has been questioned by Mr Justice Cregan regarding the distribution of profits from an Irish business to his family’s corporate hold in Luxembourg. Questions were raised upon Mr. Godart’s claim that his mother, the figurehead director of Green Label Short Lets till 28th September 2023, had no active duties within the firm. On this statement, the judge expressed skepticism, denying the existence of a ‘title-only director’.
Another layer to the intrigue was the revelation that René Godart, seemingly a director for a Luxembourg company partnered with Green Label Short Lets. Such information raised concerns around monetary transfers from the Irish company to its Luxembourger parent company, which the judge suggested may constitute fraudulent activity. Marc Godart would be required to address these queries.
Contrary to Mr Godart’s assertion that Green Label had seen no profits in 2023, the newspaper reports testified to its active participation in the lodging business, and also mentioned its admission of guilt to the District Court regarding infringements of planning regulations for short-term lets in early June 2023.
Darragh Haugh, a barrister commissioned by Vincent Shields from Shields Solicitors in Tipperary County, stated that his client took the accusations of misleading the court with serious consideration, implying that the claims were determined by conjecture rather than fact. The hearing has been postponed until later this month. Find the latest updates on this case on our WhatsApp channel or directly to your phone by signing up for our alerts. Tune into our Inside Politics Podcast for a thorough analysis and discussion.