Thats interesting iguana - I'd like to know. I would hope when you buy a house that its yours and no one else. I know when buying abroad in some countries you need to make sure there are no debts attached to the property but never heard of that here.
Thanks for the replies guys/gals. The original question was asked from the point of view of knowing all the facts surrounding a house - good, bad or indifferent. If the fact that a house is repossessed from an unfortunate individual or via the CAB then I'd rather know. Obviously if you were interested in such a house and were aware of its repossessed status it may impact on the price you offer.
In practice, there have been very few repossessions in Ireland.
Courts are slow to grant repossession orders and even when they do, they tend to put a 6 month stay on the order. The owner thus has plenty of time to sell the house and pay off the mortgage.
Do u happen to know what exactly happens if the owner does not manage to sell the property within the stay of 6 months. Do they have to move out by that 6 month time period or what is the procedure.