Barrister who lost home after failing to pay legal bills is ‘not a victim', judge says
The High Court has now granted an order restraining Eugenie Houston (above) from the property. She lost her home after failing to pay costs orders linked to a legal row with solicitor Wendy Doyle
A lawyer who is currently trespassing in her former home after breaking back in when a sheriff took possession of the property last year is not 'a victim', as she claims to be, a High Court judge has said.
Mr Justice Liam Kennedy made the comments in relation to barrister Eugenie Houston, who lost possession of her home following her failure to pay a series of costs orders after losing several cases in a bitter legal dispute with solicitor Wendy Doyle.
Ms Doyle secured a vacant possession order for the house in Naas, Co Kildare, in 2023 and a sheriff took possession of the property on July 24 last year.
However, Ms Houston re-entered the house later that evening and has remained living there ever since.
The High Court has now granted an order sought by Ms Doyle restraining Ms Houston from the property and from interfering with its sale.
Making the order, Mr Justice Kennedy said he presumed gardaí would assist Ms Doyle 'exercise her lawful entitlements' if necessary.
The High Court has now granted an order restraining Eugenie Houston (above) from the property. She lost her home after failing to pay costs orders linked to a legal row with solicitor Wendy Doyle
News in 90 Seconds - Saturday July 12
In a ruling published this week, the judge said Ms Houston had failed to establish a case for permitting her to remain in the property. She had unlawfully broken in to the house and was 'now a trespasser on the property, not the owner'.
Ms Houston has indicated she will appeal.
The judge put a stay on the order until July 18 and said it would be entirely a matter for the Court of Appeal as to whether that stay should be extended.
The dispute between the two lawyers stretches back to 2014 and has its background in a defamation claim taken by Ms Houston against Ms Doyle.
The case was settled, with costs awarded against Ms Houston.
However, she did not pay those costs or further costs orders against her arising from subsequent unsuccessful legal applications she made.
When the legal bills weren't paid, Ms Doyle obtained judgment mortgages against Ms Houston's house, and ultimately got orders for the possession and sale of the property.
Mr Justice Kennedy acknowledged this was 'a disastrous outcome' from Ms Houston's perspective.
The judge said it was 'unfortunate', but added that it was the result of Ms Houston's 'ill-fated litigation campaign'.
'I would not endorse her evident perception of herself as the victim of events,' he said.
Mr Justice Kennedy said Ms Houston repeatedly instituted 'unjustified' legal proceedings and pursued 'meritless' appeals.
'As a barrister she must understand the legal consequences of such tactics,' he said.
The judge also observed that although Ms Houston complained about the effect of the proceedings and various judgments on her reputation, she had 'cynically used the proceedings as a forum to ventilate allegations' against Ms Doyle and Ms Doyle's lawyers.
The judge said that, in human terms, the litigation had been 'traumatic for all involved'.
But he added that Ms Houston had exacerbated her legal and financial predicament by failing to comply with court orders and rulings and by delaying and obstructing Ms Doyle's attempts to enforce the recovery of costs awards.
The ruling is the latest in a series of setbacks for Ms Houston.
Earlier this year another judge, Mr Justice Mark Sanfey, barred her from suing judges, court registrars, the Justice Minister, Attorney General, the Courts Service and other legal professionals without prior permission from the President of the High Court.
He did so after Ms Houston was found to have engaged in frivolous and vexatious litigation against Ms Justice Leonie Reynolds after that judge made a ruling she disagreed with.
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