The Dublin city sheriff has seized items ranging from a 50-inch plasma-screen television to cases of French wine from solicitors Thomas Byrne and Michael Lynn in two raids on their properties in Dublin in recent days.
The items seized will be sold and the proceeds used to repay some of the solicitors' multimillion euro debts to two banks.
Teams led by Dublin city sheriff Brendan Walsh raided Mr Byrne's apartment on Lad Lane off Lower Baggot Street yesterday and Mr Lynn's house at St Alban's Park in Sandymount last Friday.
The items were seized on the back of High Court orders obtained by the banks last month.
These are the first seizures of goods by the sheriff following a series of judgments obtained by the solicitors' banks. Some of Mr Lynn's properties have been put on the market to be sold in an effort to repay some of his debts.
Among the items seized from Mr Byrne's apartment early yesterday afternoon were a Bang & Olufsen television and a rug. A locksmith helped the sheriff's team to enter the apartment shortly after noon.
James Barry, a senior member of staff in the sheriff's office, said the property had already been largely cleared out before the raid.
The sheriff seized Mr Byrne's "goods and chattels" after receiving a court order for €3.3 million obtained by a bank. Mr Barry declined to name the bank.
During the earlier raid on Mr Lynn's house, between eight and 10 cases of "reasonably good French wine" were seized, Mr Barry said.
Among the other items taken were chairs, tables, mirrors, a washing machine, tumble dryer and microwave. The seizure was carried out on the back of a court order for €1.8 million obtained by a bank.
Mr Barry said that among the few items left in the house after the seizure was the "matrimonial bed". He said matrimonial beds were never seized and that second-hand beds were worth little. Most of the house's contents had already been cleared out before the raid.
Mr Barry said all the items seized will be sold at auction, with the exception of the wine, which will be sold to the licensed trade. The sheriff's office contacted the Garda before both raids to put them on notice that they would be carrying out the seizures.
The sheriff received another court order relating to €1.3 million owed by Mr Lynn to another bank, but Mr Barry said the office would not be able to execute this order unless other goods owned by the solicitor could be found.
Mr Lynn and Mr Byrne owe more than €127 million to at least a dozen financial institutions. Their legal practices have been closed amid concerns over their property dealings.
