Gerry Gannon entitled to €2m from airport car park operator, court rules

DEVELOPER Gerry Gannon is entitled to judgment for €2.18m rent against a company which operated a car park for Dublin Airport passengers on lands in Santry owned by the builder, a High Court judge has ruled.

Mr Gannon initiated proceedings last year against Parkfly Ltd and Last Bus Ltd, both companies controlled by transport entrepreneur John O’Sullivan.

He sought orders for possession of the car park premises against both defendants and a summary judgment order for €2.18m rent against Parkfly in respect of its 2019 lease for the premises.

Parkfly operated the car park premises under two leases granted in 2014 and 2019.

Last Bus Ltd, operator of a shuttle bus service between the car park and the airport, had, under a licence agreement with Mr Gannon, used a bungalow adjoining the lands as an office.

The second of Parkfly’s leases expired on October 4th 2019 and Last Bus’ licence agreement terminated the same day.

Mr Gannon claimed the €2.18m claimed represented the rent, including turnover rent, due from January 2019 to October 4th 2019. It was also claimed no monies had been paid by the defendants concerning their occupation of the car park since October 5th 2019.

In correspondence between the sides before the case was initiated in September 2020, Parkfly disputed rent arrears were due in respect of the 2019 lease and said arrears of some €1.9m relating to its occupancy of the lands before October 2018 would be dealt with in due course. The company also said it had expected its tenancy of the car park would be renewed and 60 jobs would be lost if it was not.

It was alleged Mr Gannon was seeking to take advantage of Covid in an attempt to gain possession. In correspondence, solicitors for Mr Gannon refuted the claims.