rateyoursolicitor.com and their sister site crookedlawyers.com came up with the idea of a Hall of Shame. Clearly the idea was for them to use it as a batton to beat anyone who crossed them.
Basically The Hall of Shame lists:
- Solicitors
- Barristers
- Judges
- And ANYONE else who John Gill of the VLPS and his friends decide to deride and award with an AVOID rating ~ repeatedly. And under various names.
It is a great place for these obsessed people to vent their spleen. And oh boy do they do vent with a vengence! Truth and facts are immaterial, all that is need is an axe to grind, actively encouraged by rateyoursolicitor.com.
Indeed the front page of rateyoursolicitor.com (25th of November 2008) says:
"A rating should be based on your own experience, or that of your company.There are four possible ratings:: Poor: Average: Good
Here are some guidelines to help you decide if an AVOID rating is justified:
* Did your solicitor wrongfully hold onto your files or papers?
* Did your solicitor wrongfully misappropriate money or property belonging to you?
* Is your solicitor untruthful and guilty of dishonest and dishonourable conduct?
* Do you believe that your solicitor does not carry on his/her practice in a professional and competent manner?
* Has your solicitor altered, distorted or suppressed legal documents?
* Did your solicitor commit or attempt to commit fraud or probate a fraudulent Will?
* Did your solicitor commit or attempt to commit an act which would attract a prison sentence if perpetrated by a lay person?"
They obviously prefer to encourage negativity and AVOID ratings.
Now let's take our (Sean McGlynn & Co.) entry into the Hall of Shame to prove the way they work.
First, a posting by John Gill, trumpeting about our being in their Hall of Shame, dated the 15th of November 2008:
"I see those lowest of lowlife trying to defend their conspiracy to defraud, perjury, theft of property, abuse of the system, low moral and ethical standards. How can these Liars and Thieves sleep at night? How low can a human being crawl? What kind of upbringing did they have, have they any sense of shame or decency at all? When are they going to wake up to the fact that they are in the Hall of Shame, do they not realise that the whole world is watching and waiting for the demise of the last bastion of the Black-n-Tans, the lowest of low life."
Of course, true to form, John Gill slips in and out of rateyoursolicitor.com (as he does on their sister site, crookedlawyers.com) to change his posts at will, as evidenced here with the above post originally reading:
"I see those lowest of lowlife trying to defend their conspiracy to defraud, perjury, theft of property, abuse of the system, low moral and ethical standards. How can these Liars and Thieves sleep at night? How low can a human being crawl? What kind of upbringing did they have? Did they not have enough to eat. Have they any sense of shame or decency at all? When are they going to wake up to the fact that they are in the scumbag Hall of Shame, do they not realise that the whole world is watching and waiting for the demise of the last bastion of the Black-n-Tans, the lowest of low life."
Strange, is it not, the way a man, John Gill, PRO of the VLPS, who claims to have no influence with rateyoursolicitor.com has carte blanche to change posts on rateyoursolicitor.com at will?
Now to our AVOID LISTINGS
The listings on Sean McGlynn & Co., Letterkenny, County Donegal, has 187 postings (it runs to 32 pages of hard copy).
The AVOID postings (which these people actively encourage) total 154
- AVOID postings by various 'branches' of the VLPS = 38
- AVOID postings by John Gill, using his own name = 24
- AVOID postings by Daniel Gallagher = 2
- AVOID postings are by people who claim to have been clients = 8
NOT ONE of these HAVE EVER BEEN clients of Sean McGlynn & Co.
- And the balance of the AVOID postings are made up of people posting under such names as
'AIB corner, Ploughing Championships' (7th October 2007) who said:
"Tis a long way from Killarney to Dublin Four Courts, you will have our support on the 8th of Oct, God willing. Tis past time someone took a stand against our new Black n Tans, the Cromwellian forces of the new century, fair play to you."
Does that post remind us of the posts of John Gill who constantly brings up the Black and Tans, no doubt a rather puerile and very unsubtle dig at their idea that I am English and Sean is Irish. (See John Gill's post above dated 15th of November 2008).
So, 100% ~ ONE HUNDRED PERCENT ~ of our AVOID postings are generated by the VLPS, John Gill, Daniel Gallagher, non-existent 'clients' and people not connected at all with the case and unknown to us.
What does that tell the readers of rateyoursolicitor.com?
Simply, it tells us that the whole thing is an absolute farce and riddled with lies.
AND FOR THE INFORMATION OF rateyoursolicitor.com ~ Try to at least get SOME of your basic facts right (the lies we have come to expect):
1. I am not English. Posters under various names keep repeating this non-fact as if it were an insult to me. Is being English a bad thing? Because you are clearly throwing this at me as if you think it is an insult to be English. And in so doing you insult all English people. Racism? I think so. Not exactly good PR. But then they do have John Gill as their PRO.
2. Brendan McGlynn, Auctioneer, is not Sean McGlynn's brother.
All of the above proves that these people are not above lies in the postings ~ if indeed proof was needed. And if I have been able, with little effort, to prove it in our case then it has the knock on effect of indicating that others with many AVOID postings may, and indeed probably, have been subject to the same lies.
There are other posters who have drawn the same conclusions:
"Mrs McGlynn, I read your blog and it certainly casts things in a different light. I am sorry to say that for a while it seemed Mr Gill and his crew were fighting the good fight but not (sic) its clear to see that they are the ones who are up to no good."
Posted by George Kirk (who is totally unknown to us) 20th of November 2008
"Anyone interested in these allegations should read the recent High Court judgement on these matters. It is available on the Courts site. In my opinion it completely vindicates the McGlynns."
Posted by John Finnegan (who is unknown to us) 17th of January 2008
"You should all stop ranting and read the High Court judgement where all of these accusations were considered and found to be without any foundation. I am an independent reader who looked at this website out of interest, and has become totally disillusioned with the pointless nature of the baseless mudslinging that goes on."
Posted by John Finnegan (who is unknown to us) 10th of April 2008
I'd like to thank John Finnegan and George Kirk, neither of whom we know, for at least trying to bring some rationality to the site.
rateyoursolicitor is not the place for sane, rational people to associate themselves with, and nor is their sister site crookedlawyers.com. And all because John Gill and his friends, through their total lack of intelligence and decency, have ruined their own sites.
NB. From the front page of rateyoursolicitor.com
"THIS WEBSITE IS HOSTED IN THE USA AND IS GOVERNED BY U.S. LAW ONLY!"
If rateyoursolicitor.com and crookedlawyers.com were set up with good intentions, why then are they both now, and always have been since inception, registered with a host site outside of Ireland? Think about it.
~~~~~
NOTE: I have posted all above on rateyoursolicitor.com tonight 25th November 2008. Will they post it? I think they will.
THREE DAYS LATER:
I was wrong. They have been posting things I posted on their sites since I opened this blog on the 11th of November 2008, and only because I informed John Gill by email about this blog. So they are aware of it and as indicated by postings on their sites since. are reading my blog.
But clearly, as proven by my exposing their lies here, they do not want the proof I exposed to appear on the rateyoursolicitor.com Hall of Shame.
Because if this proof of their lies did it would knock all the other threads on rateyoursolicitor (and indeed the waffle on their siter site crookedlawyers.com) into a cocked hat.
So exposing their lies on the Sean McGlynn & Co. thread on rateyoursolicitor.com to be an absolute farce and riddled with lies exposes at the VERY least the possibility that the rest of rateyoursolicitor.com is too a farce.
YOU REALLY CAN'T IMPROVE ON THE TRUTH.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Friday, November 21, 2008
WHO IS THE ABSOLUTE LUNATIC?
Since I posted here the thread: RATEYOURSOLICTOR/CROOKEDLAWYERS (link:
http://victimsofthelegalprofessionexposed.blogspot.com/2008/11/rate-your-solicitor-why-this-site-is.html ), one of the postings on the crookedlawyers.com Guestbook by someone who calls himself Absolute Lunatic has mysteriously disappeared.
These 2 postings are still there:
"In India throwing Acid in someone (sic) face is perfectly acceptable means of figting (sic) crime. Ireland needs a similar method."
This appeared on their guestbook on the 10th September 2006 and is still there as of todays date (21st of of November 2008).
The full post:
Name: Wakeupcall
Country:
Date: Sun Sep 10 03:29:44 2006
Comment: I don't blame Solicitors I blame all the cheats and scammers who thing having a large family is a good enough reason to take whatever they want to better themselves. Solicitors are dirty and take money under the table all the time its human nature for them to do that. Ireland's laws need to focus more on fraud than any other crime. In India throwing Acid in someone face is perfectly acceptable means of figting crime. Ireland needs a similar method
"In America if a Solicitor/Lawyer stole from a client he or she would be hunted down and killed and then the client would then commit suicide."
This appeared on their guestbook on the 10th of July 2006 and is still there as of today's date (21st of November 2008).
The full post:
Name: Good Night
Country: USA
Date: Mon Jul 10 00:21:39 2006
Comment: I am a American who family comes from Ireland. I guess that most Irish are very Peaceful people who blame themselves for problems caused by Solicitors. I read articles on victims of Solicitors who had there entire life savings as well as their homes taken by Solicitors. I find it strange that these victims are committing Suicide so soon. In America if a Solicitor/ Lawyer stole from a client he or she would be hunted down and killed and then the client would then commit suicide.
The post that has mysteriously disappeared:
"... the best way to get my point across is to kidnapp (sic) and torture crooked Solicitors. I find that to be the best method to deal with these Rats."
This appeared on their guestbook on the 7th of September 2006, was still when I posted it here on the 12th of November 2008, and now it has gone.
The full post:
Name: Absolute Lunatic
Country: Rockall
Date: Thu Sep 7 20:19:16 2006
Comment: I would like to comment on Imelda (sic) asertion (sic) that this forum is for lazy malicious cowards. She is right the best way to get my point across is to kidnapp (sic) and torture crooked Solicitors. I find that to be the best method to deal with these Rats.
That post, unitl I posted it on this blog on the 12th of November 2008, had been on page 10 (currently) of the Guestbook and had been there for OVER 2 YEARS slotted in between these two posts that remain as of this date:
Name: Bernard
Country: Ireland
Date: Fri Sep 8 18:35:56 2006
Comment: Liam, have you ever tried to make a complaint against a solicitor through the so called 'legitimate channels'? Unfortunately consumers have no other option but to try 'ranting' on websites to encourage change. How many solicitors have been stopped from practicing by the law society due to misconduct? Answer: zero! How about the redress board scandal? How many solicitors have been punished for stealing from those victims? Answer: Zero. They got a slap on the wrist!
Name: Liam
Country: Ireland
Date: Thu Sep 7 18:31:00 2006
Comment: Bernard, I agree fully with Imelda. Nobody is denying that there are bad apples in the legal profession, but the malicious scattergun approach taken by the so called victims of the legal profession society is simply an extended rant, and it lacks all credibility. You can practically feel the sparks from the huge axe they are grinding. There are legitimate channels for ventilating complaints against members of the legal profession. Those with personal vendettas need not apply.
For the information of people reading, a poster on a Guestbook cannot remove his posting therefore the people/person ( link: http://victimsofthelegalprofessionexposed.blogspot.com/2008/11/rate-your-solicitor-dot-com-tdi-mill.html ) who own/run the site are the only one/s who can remove it. Which begs the question: why would that one post be removed when other offensive posts remain?
http://victimsofthelegalprofessionexposed.blogspot.com/2008/11/rate-your-solicitor-why-this-site-is.html ), one of the postings on the crookedlawyers.com Guestbook by someone who calls himself Absolute Lunatic has mysteriously disappeared.
These 2 postings are still there:
"In India throwing Acid in someone (sic) face is perfectly acceptable means of figting (sic) crime. Ireland needs a similar method."
This appeared on their guestbook on the 10th September 2006 and is still there as of todays date (21st of of November 2008).
The full post:
Name: Wakeupcall
Country:
Date: Sun Sep 10 03:29:44 2006
Comment: I don't blame Solicitors I blame all the cheats and scammers who thing having a large family is a good enough reason to take whatever they want to better themselves. Solicitors are dirty and take money under the table all the time its human nature for them to do that. Ireland's laws need to focus more on fraud than any other crime. In India throwing Acid in someone face is perfectly acceptable means of figting crime. Ireland needs a similar method
"In America if a Solicitor/Lawyer stole from a client he or she would be hunted down and killed and then the client would then commit suicide."
This appeared on their guestbook on the 10th of July 2006 and is still there as of today's date (21st of November 2008).
The full post:
Name: Good Night
Country: USA
Date: Mon Jul 10 00:21:39 2006
Comment: I am a American who family comes from Ireland. I guess that most Irish are very Peaceful people who blame themselves for problems caused by Solicitors. I read articles on victims of Solicitors who had there entire life savings as well as their homes taken by Solicitors. I find it strange that these victims are committing Suicide so soon. In America if a Solicitor/ Lawyer stole from a client he or she would be hunted down and killed and then the client would then commit suicide.
The post that has mysteriously disappeared:
"... the best way to get my point across is to kidnapp (sic) and torture crooked Solicitors. I find that to be the best method to deal with these Rats."
This appeared on their guestbook on the 7th of September 2006, was still when I posted it here on the 12th of November 2008, and now it has gone.
The full post:
Name: Absolute Lunatic
Country: Rockall
Date: Thu Sep 7 20:19:16 2006
Comment: I would like to comment on Imelda (sic) asertion (sic) that this forum is for lazy malicious cowards. She is right the best way to get my point across is to kidnapp (sic) and torture crooked Solicitors. I find that to be the best method to deal with these Rats.
That post, unitl I posted it on this blog on the 12th of November 2008, had been on page 10 (currently) of the Guestbook and had been there for OVER 2 YEARS slotted in between these two posts that remain as of this date:
Name: Bernard
Country: Ireland
Date: Fri Sep 8 18:35:56 2006
Comment: Liam, have you ever tried to make a complaint against a solicitor through the so called 'legitimate channels'? Unfortunately consumers have no other option but to try 'ranting' on websites to encourage change. How many solicitors have been stopped from practicing by the law society due to misconduct? Answer: zero! How about the redress board scandal? How many solicitors have been punished for stealing from those victims? Answer: Zero. They got a slap on the wrist!
Name: Liam
Country: Ireland
Date: Thu Sep 7 18:31:00 2006
Comment: Bernard, I agree fully with Imelda. Nobody is denying that there are bad apples in the legal profession, but the malicious scattergun approach taken by the so called victims of the legal profession society is simply an extended rant, and it lacks all credibility. You can practically feel the sparks from the huge axe they are grinding. There are legitimate channels for ventilating complaints against members of the legal profession. Those with personal vendettas need not apply.
For the information of people reading, a poster on a Guestbook cannot remove his posting therefore the people/person ( link: http://victimsofthelegalprofessionexposed.blogspot.com/2008/11/rate-your-solicitor-dot-com-tdi-mill.html ) who own/run the site are the only one/s who can remove it. Which begs the question: why would that one post be removed when other offensive posts remain?
So who is the 'Absolute Lunatic'?. And why did s/he have that post removed? Could it be that the owner/s of crookedlawyers.com might have to give up the identity of the 'Absolute Lunatic' if called upon to so do? And in so doing would the identity of the Absolute Lunatic totally embarass crookedlawyers.com and the VLPS? It certainly looks that way.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
THANK YOU
I wish to thank the many people who have contacted me with their support, assistance and information since opening this blog, and to let them know I will respond to all in due course.
Thank you.
Catherine McGlynn
Thank you.
Catherine McGlynn
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
THE ANCESTRAL HOME
19th November 2008
Our Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Brian Cowan has invited the 44th President of the United States of America, Barack Obama, to visit his ancestral home in County Offaly, Ireland.
I really hope that Mr. Obama does not run into John Gill and the members of the Victims of the Legal Profession (VLPS) whilst here. Imagine if they could persuade Mr. Obama to fight for the rights to his ancestral home?
Does that sound ridiculous? Of course it does!
Every bit as ridiculous as Daniel and Elva Gallagher claiming the land owned by the late Mrs. Madge Friel is their ancestral home. (Sean McGlynn and Catherine McGlynn -v- Daniel Gallagher and Charles Gallagher). At least Daniel Gallagher's brother, Charles Gallagher, recognises the fact that there is no claim and has from an early stage indicated this to Sean and Catherine McGlynn.
Further, Elva Gallagher has absolutely no connection whatsoever with the said property, and Daniel Gallagher was not born there. Nor was his father, Anton Gallagher, and nor indeed was Anton Gallagher's father. And how can he, Daniel Gallagher, or anybody, honestly believe that this man Daniel Gallagher can have a better entitlement to the land of Madge Friel (he has never disputed that the land belonged to Madge Friel) than her nephews and nieces, her nearest next of kin who are rightfully entitled to the lands and have a far closer connection to the lands than Daniel Gallagher or any of his family. Remember that Daniel Gallagher is the son of Anton Gallagher who was a first cousin of Madge Friel and that makes Daniel Gallagher a second cousin which in terms of next of kin is far removed from nephews and nieces.
The right to any ancestral home claimed by Daniel and Elva Gallagher is every bit as remote as any link Barack Obama may have with any ancestral home in County Offaly. The only difference being, Mr. Obama is intelligent enough to know that.
Our Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Brian Cowan has invited the 44th President of the United States of America, Barack Obama, to visit his ancestral home in County Offaly, Ireland.
I really hope that Mr. Obama does not run into John Gill and the members of the Victims of the Legal Profession (VLPS) whilst here. Imagine if they could persuade Mr. Obama to fight for the rights to his ancestral home?
Does that sound ridiculous? Of course it does!
Every bit as ridiculous as Daniel and Elva Gallagher claiming the land owned by the late Mrs. Madge Friel is their ancestral home. (Sean McGlynn and Catherine McGlynn -v- Daniel Gallagher and Charles Gallagher). At least Daniel Gallagher's brother, Charles Gallagher, recognises the fact that there is no claim and has from an early stage indicated this to Sean and Catherine McGlynn.
Further, Elva Gallagher has absolutely no connection whatsoever with the said property, and Daniel Gallagher was not born there. Nor was his father, Anton Gallagher, and nor indeed was Anton Gallagher's father. And how can he, Daniel Gallagher, or anybody, honestly believe that this man Daniel Gallagher can have a better entitlement to the land of Madge Friel (he has never disputed that the land belonged to Madge Friel) than her nephews and nieces, her nearest next of kin who are rightfully entitled to the lands and have a far closer connection to the lands than Daniel Gallagher or any of his family. Remember that Daniel Gallagher is the son of Anton Gallagher who was a first cousin of Madge Friel and that makes Daniel Gallagher a second cousin which in terms of next of kin is far removed from nephews and nieces.
The right to any ancestral home claimed by Daniel and Elva Gallagher is every bit as remote as any link Barack Obama may have with any ancestral home in County Offaly. The only difference being, Mr. Obama is intelligent enough to know that.
THE LONE RANGER!
John Gill imagines he is the Lone Ranger.
From a sworn Affidavit of John Gill dated the 2nd of November 2006 (his SIXTH Affidavit in that particular matter by the way):
"I say and believe that I John Gill am the lone ranger ..."
So, is Mr. Gill indeed the Lone Ranger? Let's consider the facts:
1. The Lone Ranger was a cowboy.
2. From Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary: "one who acts alone and without consultation or the approval of others."
If the stetson, sorry, cap fits ...
From a sworn Affidavit of John Gill dated the 2nd of November 2006 (his SIXTH Affidavit in that particular matter by the way):
"I say and believe that I John Gill am the lone ranger ..."
So, is Mr. Gill indeed the Lone Ranger? Let's consider the facts:
1. The Lone Ranger was a cowboy.
2. From Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary: "one who acts alone and without consultation or the approval of others."
If the stetson, sorry, cap fits ...
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
LEGAL ADVICE IN ST. JOHNSTON
News has reached me that there is now legal advice available in the St. Johnston area, and although it is not free, to quote a source: "He's not hard to pay."
Monday, November 17, 2008
MADGE FRIEL'S GOLD WATCH
THE GOLD WATCH
This was a beautiful solid 14 carat gold gentleman's hob watch and chain. It was held in Madge Friel's safety deposit box in the Ulster Bank, Letterkenny, and was never seen by either myself of my husband until I, as one of the Executors of Mrs. Friel's Will, collected it AFTER her death.
The watch was in it's original box together with the original recipt dated 15th of August 1896. At that time I took a photograph of the watch, it's box and the original receipt::
This was a beautiful solid 14 carat gold gentleman's hob watch and chain. It was held in Madge Friel's safety deposit box in the Ulster Bank, Letterkenny, and was never seen by either myself of my husband until I, as one of the Executors of Mrs. Friel's Will, collected it AFTER her death.
The watch was in it's original box together with the original recipt dated 15th of August 1896. At that time I took a photograph of the watch, it's box and the original receipt::
THE LIE:
From the Affidavit of Daniel Gallagher dated 2nd of July 2007:
4. Father McMahon P.P. Termon never got his gold watch before he died
THE TRUTH:
Fr. McMahon died on the 5th of February 2006. He collected the watch in person in our office on the 31st of January 2002. FOUR YEARS BEFORE HE DIED.
I rang Fr. McMahon following Madge Friel's death to inform him that Mrs. Friel had left him her gold watch. Fr. McMahon duly called to our offices to collect said watch. I had him sign for same and here is the receipt:
Further, upon subsequently hearing of the accusations of the Gallaghers in this matter I telephoned the Bishops secretary in Letterkenny to find out who the Executors of Fr. McMahon's Will were.
He told me that the Rt. Rev. Monsignor Daniel Carr, Parish Priest, St. Johnston, County Donegal, and Fr. McMahon's nephew, an accountant in Dublin were the Executors. My husband and myself then visited Monsignor Carr who in turn contacted the nephew of Fr. McMahon who wrote to confirm that the watch had been in the home of Fr. McMahon when he went to clear the house following his uncle's death.
Further, Monsignor Carr who was very familiar with Fr. McMahon's signature having worked with him for many years, confirmed that the signature on the above receipt was definately that of Fr. McMahon.
The case of the gold watch of Mrs. Friel is but one example of the many lies of Daniel and Elva Gallagher, all of which will be exposed by me on this blog in due course.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
THE OWNER/S OF RATEYOURSOLICITOR.COM AND CROOKEDLAWYERS.COM
So who does own these websites? John Gill denies ownership and yet is name is mentioned as a contact in the registration details (see below), the email name for the VLPS is the same name as the contact name on the registration of the website rateyoursolicitor.com.
Mr. Gill seems to have at the very least, an incredibly close connection with both these sites.
Read the details and make up your own mind.
rateyoursolicitor.com
Is registered to: TDI, The Mill, Caher, County Tipperary
Registrar: DOTSTER Domain
Name: RATEYOURSOLICITOR.COM
Created on: 02-JUL-05 Expires on: 02-JUL-11
Last Updated on: 10-OCT-08
Administrative Technical Contact: Fitzgerald, Bill lawyercatcher @ eml.cc
TDI The Mill Caher, County Tipperary n/a IE +353-5242810
On a website called tcal dot net, a poster going by the name of "stella" (whose name when clicked brought me right back to the VPLS site) posted the following on the 16th of September 2006:
"The link to this article is crookedlawyers.com. Please note that rateyoursolicitor.com does not belong to victims of the legal profession, it is a link upon their website."
HOWEVER:From the Irish Independent 10th November 2005:
"A group calling itself Victims of the Legal Profession Society (VLPS) has purchased the domain name rate your solicitor .com and plans to use the site to expose "rogue solicitors"."
AND in a Donegal newspaper where members of the group were publicising the setting up of said group:
"The group have also set up their own website, rateyoursolicitor.com, where members of the public can rate and comment on their personal experiences with a solicitor."
AND on the guestbook of the VLPS a posting from the VPLS on the 13th of September 2006:
"Please note, debates about rateyoursolicitor.com have been moved to OUR new Forum: rateyoursolicitor.com/forum ..."
~~~~~~~~~~
crookedlawyers.com
Registrant: c/o CROOKEDLAWYERS.COM
P.O. Box 821650 Vancouver, WA 98682 US
Registrar: DOTSTER
Domain Name: CROOKEDLAWYERS.COM
Created on: 24-JUL-04 Expires on: 24-JUL-09
Last Updated on: 02-AUG-07
Administrative Contact:
zVN9Wl@privacypost.com
c/o CROOKEDLAWYERS.COM
P.O. Box 821650
Vancouver, WA 98682 US +1.360-449-5933
Technical Contact: gtkcAD@privacypost.com
CROOKEDLAWYERS.COM, P.O. Box 821650, Vancouver, WA 98682, US +1.360-449-5933
Current Registrar: DOTSTER, INC.
IP Address: 64.202.166.207 (ARIN & RIPE IP search)
IP Location: US(UNITED STATES)-NEW YORK-NEW YORK
Record Type: Domain Name
Server Type: Apache
Lock Status: clientDeleteProhibited
Web Site Status: Active
DMOZ no listings
Y! Directory: see listings
Web Site Title: Victims of the Legal Profession Society
Meta Description: Support group for the many victims of the corrupt legal system in Ireland (including solicitors and barristers), with Case Histories written by victims.
Meta Keywords: VICTIMS,LEGAL,LAWYER,SOLICITOR,IRELAND,SUPPORT GROUP,CORRUPT,JUSTICE,PROFESSION,JOHN GILL
Secure: No
E-commerce: No
Traffic Ranking: 1
Data as of: 27-Nov-2006
On the VPLS website, crookedlawyers.com, the contact name is John Gill. Note too the email address. lawyercatcher. Then note the email address for the administrator of rateyoursolicitor.com: lawyercatcher.
For questions and comments regarding the legal profession, email the VLPS lawyercatcher@lawyer.com>
Or you can write to the VLPS Public Relations Officer:
John Gill Drumline Newmarket-on-Fergus Co. Clare Ireland
Tel.: + 353 61 360 436
Fax: 001 215 3265471
In a letter to the Revenue Commissioners dated 21/1/08, John Gill referred to the website as "OUR website".
"In the eyes of honest men and women at home in Ireland and those viewing our website all over the world there will be rejoicing at the exposure and elimination of corruption in Ireland."
From crookedlawyers.com November 2005:
"Latest News
A new domain, RateYourSolicitor.com has been purchased by the VLPS. It will be similar to the popular RateMyTeachers.ie site. Contributions from members of the public are very welcome, please send to lawyercatcher@lawyer.com"
And from crookedlawyers.com January 2006:
"This site (rateyoursolicitor) requires professional expertise, which of course we will have to pay for, so any donations for this will be very welcome indeed.
Please send to Mr John Gill, Drumline, Newmarket-on-Fergus, Co. Clare."So, a man who does not own the site (he says) was asking the public to send him money? It can only be one of 2 things Mr. Gill either lied then and asked for donations even though he did not own the site or lied subsequently, particularly during the Jayne Maguire case ~ from RTE News: "Mr Gill denies being responsible for the site.".
But then of course, they change direction again. From crookedlawyer.com 4th of October 2006:
"The RYS management has noted Mr. John Gill's appeal to have the original remarks posted in this place about Ms Jayne Maguire, barrister, removed in order to stop his continued harassment by Irish lawyers. This harassment is completely uncalled for, as RYS is a completely independent organization without any legal ties whatsoever to the VLPS, and neither Mr. Gill nor any other members of the VLPS committee have ever had any knowledge of or influence on RYS policies."
But then from rateyoursolicitor.com 26th of April 2006:
"If you have a longer story that you would like to make public, consider being published in the Case Histories on our sister site, CrookedLawyers.com"
But then on tcal.net on the 17th of September 2006, a poster calling him or herself 'Stella', whos name when clicked links directly back to crookedlawyer.com says:
"The link to this article is www.crookedlawyers.com. Please note that rateyoursolicitor.com does not belong to victims of the legal profession, it is a link upon their website. How can John Gill be held or amde (sic) accountable for public opinion. If you want the real stroy it is simple the legal profession are looking for a way to close down the web site, www.crookedlawyers.com, because of the implications of the evidence on those web pages, and how they expose the corruption in Ireland- we cannot let this happen as it has impact on the media as well!!!But interestingly, if you had hit 'Contact Us' link on the rateyoursolicitor.com site on the 26th of April 2006, it would take you to ... yes, that's right, the Contact page on crookedlawyers.com and John Gill's contact details!
Mr. Gill and the VLPS mantra is: You Can't Improve on the Truth.
What is the truth?
Is anyone, having read all the above, in any doubt? I think not.
Mr. Gill seems to have at the very least, an incredibly close connection with both these sites.
Read the details and make up your own mind.
rateyoursolicitor.com
Is registered to: TDI, The Mill, Caher, County Tipperary
Registrar: DOTSTER Domain
Name: RATEYOURSOLICITOR.COM
Created on: 02-JUL-05 Expires on: 02-JUL-11
Last Updated on: 10-OCT-08
Administrative Technical Contact: Fitzgerald, Bill lawyercatcher @ eml.cc
TDI The Mill Caher, County Tipperary n/a IE +353-5242810
On a website called tcal dot net, a poster going by the name of "stella" (whose name when clicked brought me right back to the VPLS site) posted the following on the 16th of September 2006:
"The link to this article is crookedlawyers.com. Please note that rateyoursolicitor.com does not belong to victims of the legal profession, it is a link upon their website."
HOWEVER:From the Irish Independent 10th November 2005:
"A group calling itself Victims of the Legal Profession Society (VLPS) has purchased the domain name rate your solicitor .com and plans to use the site to expose "rogue solicitors"."
AND in a Donegal newspaper where members of the group were publicising the setting up of said group:
"The group have also set up their own website, rateyoursolicitor.com, where members of the public can rate and comment on their personal experiences with a solicitor."
AND on the guestbook of the VLPS a posting from the VPLS on the 13th of September 2006:
"Please note, debates about rateyoursolicitor.com have been moved to OUR new Forum: rateyoursolicitor.com/forum ..."
~~~~~~~~~~
crookedlawyers.com
Registrant: c/o CROOKEDLAWYERS.COM
P.O. Box 821650 Vancouver, WA 98682 US
Registrar: DOTSTER
Domain Name: CROOKEDLAWYERS.COM
Created on: 24-JUL-04 Expires on: 24-JUL-09
Last Updated on: 02-AUG-07
Administrative Contact:
zVN9Wl@privacypost.com
c/o CROOKEDLAWYERS.COM
P.O. Box 821650
Vancouver, WA 98682 US +1.360-449-5933
Technical Contact: gtkcAD@privacypost.com
CROOKEDLAWYERS.COM, P.O. Box 821650, Vancouver, WA 98682, US +1.360-449-5933
Current Registrar: DOTSTER, INC.
IP Address: 64.202.166.207 (ARIN & RIPE IP search)
IP Location: US(UNITED STATES)-NEW YORK-NEW YORK
Record Type: Domain Name
Server Type: Apache
Lock Status: clientDeleteProhibited
Web Site Status: Active
DMOZ no listings
Y! Directory: see listings
Web Site Title: Victims of the Legal Profession Society
Meta Description: Support group for the many victims of the corrupt legal system in Ireland (including solicitors and barristers), with Case Histories written by victims.
Meta Keywords: VICTIMS,LEGAL,LAWYER,SOLICITOR,IRELAND,SUPPORT GROUP,CORRUPT,JUSTICE,PROFESSION,JOHN GILL
Secure: No
E-commerce: No
Traffic Ranking: 1
Data as of: 27-Nov-2006
On the VPLS website, crookedlawyers.com, the contact name is John Gill. Note too the email address. lawyercatcher. Then note the email address for the administrator of rateyoursolicitor.com: lawyercatcher.
For questions and comments regarding the legal profession, email the VLPS lawyercatcher@lawyer.com>
Or you can write to the VLPS Public Relations Officer:
John Gill Drumline Newmarket-on-Fergus Co. Clare Ireland
Tel.: + 353 61 360 436
Fax: 001 215 3265471
In a letter to the Revenue Commissioners dated 21/1/08, John Gill referred to the website as "OUR website".
"In the eyes of honest men and women at home in Ireland and those viewing our website all over the world there will be rejoicing at the exposure and elimination of corruption in Ireland."
From crookedlawyers.com November 2005:
"Latest News
A new domain, RateYourSolicitor.com has been purchased by the VLPS. It will be similar to the popular RateMyTeachers.ie site. Contributions from members of the public are very welcome, please send to lawyercatcher@lawyer.com"
And from crookedlawyers.com January 2006:
"This site (rateyoursolicitor) requires professional expertise, which of course we will have to pay for, so any donations for this will be very welcome indeed.
Please send to Mr John Gill, Drumline, Newmarket-on-Fergus, Co. Clare."So, a man who does not own the site (he says) was asking the public to send him money? It can only be one of 2 things Mr. Gill either lied then and asked for donations even though he did not own the site or lied subsequently, particularly during the Jayne Maguire case ~ from RTE News: "Mr Gill denies being responsible for the site.".
But then of course, they change direction again. From crookedlawyer.com 4th of October 2006:
"The RYS management has noted Mr. John Gill's appeal to have the original remarks posted in this place about Ms Jayne Maguire, barrister, removed in order to stop his continued harassment by Irish lawyers. This harassment is completely uncalled for, as RYS is a completely independent organization without any legal ties whatsoever to the VLPS, and neither Mr. Gill nor any other members of the VLPS committee have ever had any knowledge of or influence on RYS policies."
But then from rateyoursolicitor.com 26th of April 2006:
"If you have a longer story that you would like to make public, consider being published in the Case Histories on our sister site, CrookedLawyers.com"
But then on tcal.net on the 17th of September 2006, a poster calling him or herself 'Stella', whos name when clicked links directly back to crookedlawyer.com says:
"The link to this article is www.crookedlawyers.com. Please note that rateyoursolicitor.com does not belong to victims of the legal profession, it is a link upon their website. How can John Gill be held or amde (sic) accountable for public opinion. If you want the real stroy it is simple the legal profession are looking for a way to close down the web site, www.crookedlawyers.com, because of the implications of the evidence on those web pages, and how they expose the corruption in Ireland- we cannot let this happen as it has impact on the media as well!!!But interestingly, if you had hit 'Contact Us' link on the rateyoursolicitor.com site on the 26th of April 2006, it would take you to ... yes, that's right, the Contact page on crookedlawyers.com and John Gill's contact details!
Mr. Gill and the VLPS mantra is: You Can't Improve on the Truth.
What is the truth?
Is anyone, having read all the above, in any doubt? I think not.
RATE YOUR SOLICITOR/CROOKED LAWYERS
I suppose the idea for the site rateyoursolcitor.com, where people could award a solicitor with stars for good work and less stars for what they considered not so good work thereby allowing potential clients to view the rating of a solicitor prior to engaging him or her, was a reasonable idea.
In theory that would have been fine. However, the site, rate your solicitor, has now sunk into one of the most disgusting places on the net simply because it is run in a totally unprofessional manner where posters are allowed to post the most gratuitous, nasty, and personal comments about anyone in the legal profession. Perhaps they should consider changing the site name to slateyoursolicitor.com?
A selection of comments and inuendo about members of the legal profession allowed on that site, which comments and inuendo have absolutely nothing to do with the persons ability as a lawyer:
"... is a serial criminal full stoip (sic), and my family has the scars to prove it...pure venim!
"and car park activities after company nights"
"what a wagon"
"...isn't it a pity that all solicitors have skeletons in their cupboards..."
"... stay out of those 5 * hotels for your liaisons!!"
"spends most of his days drinking and chasing women in local lap dancing club"
"He drives around town in a large Mercedes looking like lord muck of the manor, at the same time shafting and sticking the two fingers up to the ordinary law abiding citizen."
"SUBSTANTIAL REWARD FOR INFORMATION LEADING TO CRIMINAL CONVICTIONS. IF ANYONE HAS INFORMATION OF ANY WRONG DOINGS ON THE PART OF THIS FIRM OR INDEED ANY SOLICITOR, PLEASE MAKE YOURSELF KNOWN IN CONFIDENCE TO JOHN GILL"
"after consuming two (sic) many of those cheap bottles off booze he buys in lidl."
"Avoid like the plague, also noted for getting up womens' skirts!"
"... out to S*** in your lawn or plant guns"
"A joke, an idiot, unprofessional, cycles to court and shows up looking like a cross between a cabbage and Worzel Gummidge"
"I am waiting darling, game on, bring it on....hell ain't half full yet ..."
"... would gladly handle a few months in the slammer for what you might do to him, that is!"
"... this alcoholic, egotistical, psychotic and frankly criminalised joke of a solicitor ..."
And some absolutely appalling comments from their sister site, crookedlawyers.com's guest book:
"In India throwing Acid in someone (sic) face is perfectly acceptable means of figting (sic) crime. Ireland needs a similar method." This appeared on their guestbook on the 10th September 2006 and is still there as at the 12th of November 2008.
"... the best way to get my point across is to kidnapp (sic) and torture crooked Solicitors. I find that to be the best method to deal with these Rats." This appeared on their guestbook on the 7th of September 2006 and is still there as at the 12th of November 2008.
"In America if a Solicitor/Lawyer stole from a client he or she would be hunted down and killed and then the client would then commit suicide." This appeared on their guestbook on the 10th of July 2006 and is still there as at the 12th of November 2008.
And as one poster rightly posted after reading some of the vile comments:
"After reading some of the comments I would believe that being a Solicitor in Ireland now is one of the most dangerous professions."
These sites allow anyone to add comments without any check being made on the poster. They allow people to lie freely and anonymously, for instance on our listing rateyoursolicitor.com (we're the only solicitors office in Donegal who have made their ridiculous 'Hall of Shame' due entirely to false postings by John Gill in various guises I suspect (more of which anon), the names added to the derogatory postings are unknown to us. They are not, and never have been, clients of our office.
I also know for an absolute fact that one person in particular tried on seven consecutive nights to post a non derogatory comment pointing out the inadequacies of their site along the lines of how they are demeaning ligitimate cases of complaint by their infantile bashing postings. This comment was never allowed to appear on their site.
Apart from them being nasty people, they are now listing The Irish Time, The Irish Independent, and the Tanaiste, Mary Coughlan. Since when did any of those supply legal advice? Perhaps they should consider opening sites: rateyournewspaper.com and rateyourtanaiste.com?
All in all, I think the rateyoursolicitor.com and crookedlawyer.com sites are a waste of webspace for all the above reasons. Who on earth could condone a posting avocading the throwing of acid in another human being's face? Which they have done by allowing such a posting at all. It is a pity that the people who run them have allowed it to sink into the cess pits they have become because I'm sure there are people with genuine complaints who had hoped it was a way to air concerns, and these people I'm sure, would not want to be part of the band of nasty people who run/post there.
In theory that would have been fine. However, the site, rate your solicitor, has now sunk into one of the most disgusting places on the net simply because it is run in a totally unprofessional manner where posters are allowed to post the most gratuitous, nasty, and personal comments about anyone in the legal profession. Perhaps they should consider changing the site name to slateyoursolicitor.com?
A selection of comments and inuendo about members of the legal profession allowed on that site, which comments and inuendo have absolutely nothing to do with the persons ability as a lawyer:
"... is a serial criminal full stoip (sic), and my family has the scars to prove it...pure venim!
"and car park activities after company nights"
"what a wagon"
"...isn't it a pity that all solicitors have skeletons in their cupboards..."
"... stay out of those 5 * hotels for your liaisons!!"
"spends most of his days drinking and chasing women in local lap dancing club"
"He drives around town in a large Mercedes looking like lord muck of the manor, at the same time shafting and sticking the two fingers up to the ordinary law abiding citizen."
"SUBSTANTIAL REWARD FOR INFORMATION LEADING TO CRIMINAL CONVICTIONS. IF ANYONE HAS INFORMATION OF ANY WRONG DOINGS ON THE PART OF THIS FIRM OR INDEED ANY SOLICITOR, PLEASE MAKE YOURSELF KNOWN IN CONFIDENCE TO JOHN GILL"
"after consuming two (sic) many of those cheap bottles off booze he buys in lidl."
"Avoid like the plague, also noted for getting up womens' skirts!"
"... out to S*** in your lawn or plant guns"
"A joke, an idiot, unprofessional, cycles to court and shows up looking like a cross between a cabbage and Worzel Gummidge"
"I am waiting darling, game on, bring it on....hell ain't half full yet ..."
"... would gladly handle a few months in the slammer for what you might do to him, that is!"
"... this alcoholic, egotistical, psychotic and frankly criminalised joke of a solicitor ..."
And some absolutely appalling comments from their sister site, crookedlawyers.com's guest book:
"In India throwing Acid in someone (sic) face is perfectly acceptable means of figting (sic) crime. Ireland needs a similar method." This appeared on their guestbook on the 10th September 2006 and is still there as at the 12th of November 2008.
"... the best way to get my point across is to kidnapp (sic) and torture crooked Solicitors. I find that to be the best method to deal with these Rats." This appeared on their guestbook on the 7th of September 2006 and is still there as at the 12th of November 2008.
"In America if a Solicitor/Lawyer stole from a client he or she would be hunted down and killed and then the client would then commit suicide." This appeared on their guestbook on the 10th of July 2006 and is still there as at the 12th of November 2008.
And as one poster rightly posted after reading some of the vile comments:
"After reading some of the comments I would believe that being a Solicitor in Ireland now is one of the most dangerous professions."
These sites allow anyone to add comments without any check being made on the poster. They allow people to lie freely and anonymously, for instance on our listing rateyoursolicitor.com (we're the only solicitors office in Donegal who have made their ridiculous 'Hall of Shame' due entirely to false postings by John Gill in various guises I suspect (more of which anon), the names added to the derogatory postings are unknown to us. They are not, and never have been, clients of our office.
I also know for an absolute fact that one person in particular tried on seven consecutive nights to post a non derogatory comment pointing out the inadequacies of their site along the lines of how they are demeaning ligitimate cases of complaint by their infantile bashing postings. This comment was never allowed to appear on their site.
Apart from them being nasty people, they are now listing The Irish Time, The Irish Independent, and the Tanaiste, Mary Coughlan. Since when did any of those supply legal advice? Perhaps they should consider opening sites: rateyournewspaper.com and rateyourtanaiste.com?
All in all, I think the rateyoursolicitor.com and crookedlawyer.com sites are a waste of webspace for all the above reasons. Who on earth could condone a posting avocading the throwing of acid in another human being's face? Which they have done by allowing such a posting at all. It is a pity that the people who run them have allowed it to sink into the cess pits they have become because I'm sure there are people with genuine complaints who had hoped it was a way to air concerns, and these people I'm sure, would not want to be part of the band of nasty people who run/post there.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
MADGE FRIEL, DECEASED
11th November 2008 ~ Updated below on the 18th November 2008
Mrs. Madge Friel was a delightful lady who lived alone in her family home in Termon, County Donegal, a small rural community. Her husband had predeceased her and her late brother Anton lived with her until his death in 1985.
My husband was first contacted by the Garda (police) sergeant in her area and asked to call with Mrs. Friel in her home as she needed some advice. He subsequently visited Mrs. Friel and as a result Mrs. Friel became a client of our office.
Following an injury at her home, she was admitted to the 'Lagan Valley' nursing home in Ballindrait, County Donegal, as a long time resident due to the fact that her nephews, nieces and closest next of kin were all resident in the U.S.A. We became acquainted with her niece, Mrs. Helen McCoy and her husband Thomas McCoy who we understand travelled to Ireland on a regular basis to visit Mrs. Friel and during one of their visits to Ireland, Mrs. Friel indicated through Mr. and Mrs. McCoy that she wanted to make her Will.My husband, Sean, attended with Mrs. Friel and took her instructions. At Mrs. Friel's request, myself and my husband were named as Executors of her Will simply because she had no-one in Ireland she could entrust with this obligation. NOTE: You can read the Will at the end of this post.
As we understood that this was important to Mrs. Friel, we took the time out to visit her at the nursing home on the 28th of December 1994 during our Christmas closed period. We had prepared the Will in accordance with Mrs. Friel's instructions and arrived at the nursing home for her signature.
On arrival, we were met by Mrs. Violet Ayton, owner of the Lagan Valley nursing home, who was aware of our intended visit and the nature of it. Mrs. Ayton handed me a piece of paper, telling us that Mrs. Friel wished to add the people named on the piece of paper to her Will. Hence a hand written Codicil had to be written on the day to annex her Will to include the persons on the list, one of whom was Violet Ayton herself. Hence, a handwritten Codicil was prepared on the day in order to deal with these additional beneficiaries and it was signed and witnessed at the same time, and in conjunction with, the Will prepared on the previous instructions, which Will and Codicil were clearly and slowly read over to Mrs. Friel before she signed these. Her signature was then witnessed by myself and my husband, both present at the same time and in her presence.
It is a STRICT rule of law in Ireland that NO witness to a Will can benefit from that Will.
Mrs. Friel had also executed a Power of Attorney in favour of my husband, Sean McGlynn, in order that he could make the necessary arrangements with the Ulster Bank, Letterkenny, for payment of the fees which had to be paid for her upkeep in the Lagan Valley nursing home in addition to the pension she was receiving, which pension was paid directly to the Lagan Valley nursing home. No monies, other than those paid to the Lagan Valley nursing home were withdrawn from Mrs. Friel's bank accounts.
Mrs. Friel, although fully lucid and capable at the time of the making of her Will, a fact verified by a letter from her attending Doctor, eventually began to suffer from dementia. Payments were still being made on foot of a standing order from her current account but these funds eventually became depleted. She did have another account which was not accessible on demand and required notice and documentation to be executed by, or on behalf of Mrs. Friel. Because of the fact that she was now incapable of managing her own affairs, the Power of Attorney which she had executed was now of no legal effect and therefore the bank would not accept either the signature of Mrs. Friel or Sean McGlynn to release these funds. Payments to the Lagan Valley nursing home therefore ceased but on the basis of an assurance from Helen McCoy (niece of Mrs. Friel) that any fees due would be paid, Mrs. Ayton, to her credit, agreed to await payment.
In her Will Mrs. Friel had sought to benefit, among others, her first cousin Mr. Anton Gallagher, who resided at Ballindrait (in the vicinity of the Lagan Valley nursing home), by leaving him one of her farms in Termon and had left her other farms in Termon to various other relatives and her good and helpful friend, Dan O'Donnell a long standing neighbour of hers.
Her cousin, Mr. Anton Gallagher, died on the 4th of March 2001 approximately 3 weeks before Mrs. Friel. Under the terms of the law of succession in Ireland, a person named as a beneficiary who predeceases the person making the Will does not benefit as a result and that gift or benefit must then be distributed among the persons entitled to the residue of the estate. The executors of the Will MUST follow this rule and are obliged to so do in their role as executors.
On the death of Mrs. Friel my husband contacted the nieces and nephews of Mrs. Friel, all of whom were beneficiaries of the residue of her estate, furnishing them with a copy of her Will and also (although he was not obliged to do so) wrote to the widow of Mr. Anton Gallagher out of respect and courtesy to inform her that Mrs. Friel had intended to benefit her late husband but that due to the fact that he predeceased Mrs. Friel, the gift was void.
Correspondence was received from the solicitor for Mrs. Anton Gallagher asking if there was any way in which she could take her husbands intended benefit. But as there were several nephews and nieces entitled to the residue of the estate, this would only be possible if they were all agreeable to surrender their interests in favour of Mrs. Gallagher. It immediately became apparent to my husband, Sean McGlynn, that a number of the said nephews and nieces were not prepared to do this and so he had to proceed on the basis that this farm, or land, would have to be sold and the proceeds divided among all of the nephews and nieces.
After a short period of correspondence with the solicitors for Mrs. Anton Gallagher nothing further occured and the matters proceeded in the normal way on the basis that the residue would be divided among the nephews and nieces.
It was not until some 2 or 3 years later when the administration of the estate was being finalised, involving the proposed sale of that land that we first informed that a claim was being made by Daniel Gallagher and his wife Elva Gallagher of Craigadoes, St. Johnston, County Donegal, that they had some entitlement to this land. It was not clear as to how they purported to have an entitlement to the land, was it simply on the basis that Mrs. Friel had intended to benefit Mr. Gallagher's father? Or was there some other basis on which they thought they were entitled to this land?
At any rate, a solicitor from Donegal wrote on behalf of Daniel Gallagher and his brother objecting to the sale of the land and was invited to support their objections on a legal basis. Which they did not. But because of the objection, our office informed the said solicitor that if his clients did not withdraw the objections that Court proceedings would have to issue to determine whether or not these objections were valid. No response was received. As a consequence, my husband and I issued the necessary proceedings in order to have the question determined.
It was then that correspondence was received from a third firm of solicitors, this time in County Mayo, representing Daniel Gallagher and his brother.
The case was eventually brought to court before Judge John O'Hagan on the 9th of May 2006 when Daniel Gallagher, his wife Elva Gallagher, and his brother were all present and were entitled to, and allowed to address the court. Mr. Daniel Gallagher's brother, who had already indicated at an early stage that he was not contesting the matter, was released from all proceedings and all liability for costs. However, Mr. Daniel Gallagher, but more particularly his wife, Mrs. Elva Gallagher (who is not related to Mrs. Friel) prevaricated at length, but no avail, on behalf of her husband and herself (although she was not named as a party to the proceedings).
His Honour Judge O'Hagan, having read and understanding the facts of the matter, made his judgement in accordance with the law as he is bound to do, dismissed the unfounded and unsubstantiated claims of the defendant, Mr. Daniel Gallagher, and granted and order in favour of the plaintiffs (myself and my husband), allowing them to proceed to administer the estate of the late Mrs. Friel in accordance with her Will and the law.
As was indicated by Mrs. Elva Gallagher on behalf of her husband Daniel Gallagher, an appeal was lodged with the High Court in Dublin. Without going into fine detail, the appeal was eventually listed before His Honour Justice Edwards in the High Court when Mrs. Elva Gallagher appearing for her husband but without her husband, and accompanied by Mr. John Gill and the Victims of the Legal Profession (about a dozen in number) handed in to His Honour Justice Edwards a plethora of paperwork which His Honour Justice Edwards agreed to receive and read and give his judgement in the month of October 2007. This was in July 2007.
His Honour Justice Edwards delivered his considered and lengthy judgement (which was also committed to writing) on the 8th of October 2007. His Honour Justice Edwards not only furnished each party with a copy of the said judgement but also took the time read his judgement in it's entirety to the Court, which is not only attend by the parties to the action but all other persons who are involved in any matters on that day. His Honour Justice Edwards provided both parties (Sean McGlynn and Elva Gallagher) with his judgement and the formal order was issued thereafter to both parties.
Daniel Gallagher and his wife Elva Gallagher (his representative) refused to accept that His Honour Judge Edwards actually made an order, espousing since that he merely gave an opinion.
The fact is, we have an order of Mr. Justice Edwards dated the 8th of October 2007 which says otherwise, and to quote:
"IT IS ORDERED that:
1. The said appeal herein be and is hereby refused.
2. The said Order of the Circuit Court be and is hereby affirmed.
3. The Plaintiffs do recover as against the Defendants the costs of this Appeal when taxed and ascertained.
Mr. Justice Edwards accepted and read all of the documentation both of the Plaintiffs, Sean and Catherine McGlynn, and the plethora of documentation presented to him by Mrs. Elva Gallagher (assisted by Mr. John Gill) on behalf of her husband Daniel Gallagher and made his decision on a totally informed basis.
Yet. Mrs. Elva Gallagher on behalf of her husband does not accept that an Order was made by High Court.
Despite the Orders of Judge O'Hagan and Mr. Justice Edwards Mr/s Gallagher continue to occupy the land by having cattle on the land and having a lock and chain on the gate.
Tuesday 11th November 2008
Mr. Daniel Gallagher was brought before His Honour Judge O'Hagan on foot of an Order made by Judge O'Hagan in the Circuit Court sitting at Cavan town on the 14th of October 2008 (when Mr. Gallagher did not appear) to give an account of himself as to why he would not obey an Order of this Honourable Court made on the 9th of May 2006 and affirmed by the High Court of the 8th of October 2007.
Mr. Gallagher chose not to come to the court voluntarily although his wife, Mrs. Elva Gallagher, was there at an early hour. Mr. Gallagher waited for the Gardai acting on foot of the Order of His Honour Judge O'Hagan to bring him to the court and was duly brought to the court by the Gardai.
When the case was called Mrs. Elva Gallagher as usual espoused her mantra of "fraud", "deception" and so on but with no logical explanation or argument to back her mantra up. Mr. Gallagher when asked a question by His Honour Judge O'Hagan had this to say: "My wife represents me.". Even though he was the one going to jail. His Honour Judge O'Hagan alluded to a certain website on which his name had been placed in conjuction with this case and his name mentioned in the most insidious manner and although he did not put the blame on Mr. and Mrs. Gallagher he was acutely aware of the fact of the association of Mr/s Gallagher with the persons responsible for this website.
Judge O'Hagan found Mr. Gallagher to be in contempt of his Order and ordered that Mr. Gallagher be committed to prison and remain there until Tuesday next 18th November unless he "purge his contempt" (complies with the Order by removing his cattle and vacating the lands). He is to be brought before the Court in Carrick on Shannon on Tuesday next 18th November when if he does not purge his contempt Judge O'Hagan may sentence him to a further term in prison or impose a daily fine which will continue until the Order is complied with.
While all of this is going on the beneficiaries in the U.S.A. are being deprived of the balance of their entitlement and inheritance. They have received their respective shares of the monies left by Mrs. Friel a considerable time ago but they have had an extracted wait for their share of the proceeds of the sale of the land concerned the sale of which has been agreed but cannot complete due to the actions of Mr/s Gallagher.
THE WILL OF MRS. MADGE FRIEL
Here is the Will of the late Mrs. Friel. This Will is no longer a confidential document as the maker is deceased and the Will has been probabated and therefore is a document of public record.
Click on the photographs to enlarge if you wish to read the details.
NOTE: Since adding the photographs of the Will of the late Madge Friel here on my blog I see a (badly) typed copy of her Will has now appeared on crookedlawyers.com.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TUESDAY 18th NOVEMBER 2008
Circuit Court sitting in Carrick-on-Shannon, Co Leitrim
As per the Order of Judge O'Hagan on the 11th of this month, Daniel Gallagher was brought before Judge O'Hagan sitting at Carrick-on-Shannon this morning, having spent the previous seven days in prison. Niall O'Neill, Barrister for Sean and Catherine McGlynn indicated that the lands were still not vacated as per the Order of the Court and that there still remained a chain and lock on the gate as put there by Mr. Gallagher. This was not disputed by Mr. Gallagher or his wife Elva Gallagher nor their companion John Gill of the VPLS.
Nothing having been put forward by or on behalf of Mr. Gallagher, Judge O'Hagan after indicating that he had considered the matter for the past week, decided to release Mr. Gallagher from custody but imposed a fine of €50 PER DAY for as long as he continues to be in contempt of the Order made by Judge O'Hagan on the 9th of May 2006. These fines will accumulate day by day. Judge O'Hagan indicated that he would review the matter in 3 months if Mr. Gallagher has still failed to comply and that Sean and Catherine McGlynn be at liberty to bring a further Motion for Attachment and Committal if necessary.
The daily fine of €50 is a fine payable to the State and does not in any way benefit the beneficiaries of the late Madge Friel. If the fines are not paid, it will be a matter for the Court to arrange for collection of same. By our calculations, at the end of 3 months the fine will total approximately €4,500.
On a further Application by Sean and Catherine McGlynn for Attachment and Committal, Judge O'Hagan has the power to commit Mr. Gallagher to prison again or to continue this fine, or such other fine as he decides, for a further period, and indeed, indefinately.
However, my husband and I are considering alternative or other options in order to complete the sale of the lands and the administration of the estate.
We will keep you posted.
Mrs. Madge Friel was a delightful lady who lived alone in her family home in Termon, County Donegal, a small rural community. Her husband had predeceased her and her late brother Anton lived with her until his death in 1985.
My husband was first contacted by the Garda (police) sergeant in her area and asked to call with Mrs. Friel in her home as she needed some advice. He subsequently visited Mrs. Friel and as a result Mrs. Friel became a client of our office.
Following an injury at her home, she was admitted to the 'Lagan Valley' nursing home in Ballindrait, County Donegal, as a long time resident due to the fact that her nephews, nieces and closest next of kin were all resident in the U.S.A. We became acquainted with her niece, Mrs. Helen McCoy and her husband Thomas McCoy who we understand travelled to Ireland on a regular basis to visit Mrs. Friel and during one of their visits to Ireland, Mrs. Friel indicated through Mr. and Mrs. McCoy that she wanted to make her Will.My husband, Sean, attended with Mrs. Friel and took her instructions. At Mrs. Friel's request, myself and my husband were named as Executors of her Will simply because she had no-one in Ireland she could entrust with this obligation. NOTE: You can read the Will at the end of this post.
As we understood that this was important to Mrs. Friel, we took the time out to visit her at the nursing home on the 28th of December 1994 during our Christmas closed period. We had prepared the Will in accordance with Mrs. Friel's instructions and arrived at the nursing home for her signature.
On arrival, we were met by Mrs. Violet Ayton, owner of the Lagan Valley nursing home, who was aware of our intended visit and the nature of it. Mrs. Ayton handed me a piece of paper, telling us that Mrs. Friel wished to add the people named on the piece of paper to her Will. Hence a hand written Codicil had to be written on the day to annex her Will to include the persons on the list, one of whom was Violet Ayton herself. Hence, a handwritten Codicil was prepared on the day in order to deal with these additional beneficiaries and it was signed and witnessed at the same time, and in conjunction with, the Will prepared on the previous instructions, which Will and Codicil were clearly and slowly read over to Mrs. Friel before she signed these. Her signature was then witnessed by myself and my husband, both present at the same time and in her presence.
It is a STRICT rule of law in Ireland that NO witness to a Will can benefit from that Will.
Mrs. Friel had also executed a Power of Attorney in favour of my husband, Sean McGlynn, in order that he could make the necessary arrangements with the Ulster Bank, Letterkenny, for payment of the fees which had to be paid for her upkeep in the Lagan Valley nursing home in addition to the pension she was receiving, which pension was paid directly to the Lagan Valley nursing home. No monies, other than those paid to the Lagan Valley nursing home were withdrawn from Mrs. Friel's bank accounts.
Mrs. Friel, although fully lucid and capable at the time of the making of her Will, a fact verified by a letter from her attending Doctor, eventually began to suffer from dementia. Payments were still being made on foot of a standing order from her current account but these funds eventually became depleted. She did have another account which was not accessible on demand and required notice and documentation to be executed by, or on behalf of Mrs. Friel. Because of the fact that she was now incapable of managing her own affairs, the Power of Attorney which she had executed was now of no legal effect and therefore the bank would not accept either the signature of Mrs. Friel or Sean McGlynn to release these funds. Payments to the Lagan Valley nursing home therefore ceased but on the basis of an assurance from Helen McCoy (niece of Mrs. Friel) that any fees due would be paid, Mrs. Ayton, to her credit, agreed to await payment.
In her Will Mrs. Friel had sought to benefit, among others, her first cousin Mr. Anton Gallagher, who resided at Ballindrait (in the vicinity of the Lagan Valley nursing home), by leaving him one of her farms in Termon and had left her other farms in Termon to various other relatives and her good and helpful friend, Dan O'Donnell a long standing neighbour of hers.
Her cousin, Mr. Anton Gallagher, died on the 4th of March 2001 approximately 3 weeks before Mrs. Friel. Under the terms of the law of succession in Ireland, a person named as a beneficiary who predeceases the person making the Will does not benefit as a result and that gift or benefit must then be distributed among the persons entitled to the residue of the estate. The executors of the Will MUST follow this rule and are obliged to so do in their role as executors.
On the death of Mrs. Friel my husband contacted the nieces and nephews of Mrs. Friel, all of whom were beneficiaries of the residue of her estate, furnishing them with a copy of her Will and also (although he was not obliged to do so) wrote to the widow of Mr. Anton Gallagher out of respect and courtesy to inform her that Mrs. Friel had intended to benefit her late husband but that due to the fact that he predeceased Mrs. Friel, the gift was void.
Correspondence was received from the solicitor for Mrs. Anton Gallagher asking if there was any way in which she could take her husbands intended benefit. But as there were several nephews and nieces entitled to the residue of the estate, this would only be possible if they were all agreeable to surrender their interests in favour of Mrs. Gallagher. It immediately became apparent to my husband, Sean McGlynn, that a number of the said nephews and nieces were not prepared to do this and so he had to proceed on the basis that this farm, or land, would have to be sold and the proceeds divided among all of the nephews and nieces.
After a short period of correspondence with the solicitors for Mrs. Anton Gallagher nothing further occured and the matters proceeded in the normal way on the basis that the residue would be divided among the nephews and nieces.
It was not until some 2 or 3 years later when the administration of the estate was being finalised, involving the proposed sale of that land that we first informed that a claim was being made by Daniel Gallagher and his wife Elva Gallagher of Craigadoes, St. Johnston, County Donegal, that they had some entitlement to this land. It was not clear as to how they purported to have an entitlement to the land, was it simply on the basis that Mrs. Friel had intended to benefit Mr. Gallagher's father? Or was there some other basis on which they thought they were entitled to this land?
At any rate, a solicitor from Donegal wrote on behalf of Daniel Gallagher and his brother objecting to the sale of the land and was invited to support their objections on a legal basis. Which they did not. But because of the objection, our office informed the said solicitor that if his clients did not withdraw the objections that Court proceedings would have to issue to determine whether or not these objections were valid. No response was received. As a consequence, my husband and I issued the necessary proceedings in order to have the question determined.
It was then that correspondence was received from a third firm of solicitors, this time in County Mayo, representing Daniel Gallagher and his brother.
The case was eventually brought to court before Judge John O'Hagan on the 9th of May 2006 when Daniel Gallagher, his wife Elva Gallagher, and his brother were all present and were entitled to, and allowed to address the court. Mr. Daniel Gallagher's brother, who had already indicated at an early stage that he was not contesting the matter, was released from all proceedings and all liability for costs. However, Mr. Daniel Gallagher, but more particularly his wife, Mrs. Elva Gallagher (who is not related to Mrs. Friel) prevaricated at length, but no avail, on behalf of her husband and herself (although she was not named as a party to the proceedings).
His Honour Judge O'Hagan, having read and understanding the facts of the matter, made his judgement in accordance with the law as he is bound to do, dismissed the unfounded and unsubstantiated claims of the defendant, Mr. Daniel Gallagher, and granted and order in favour of the plaintiffs (myself and my husband), allowing them to proceed to administer the estate of the late Mrs. Friel in accordance with her Will and the law.
As was indicated by Mrs. Elva Gallagher on behalf of her husband Daniel Gallagher, an appeal was lodged with the High Court in Dublin. Without going into fine detail, the appeal was eventually listed before His Honour Justice Edwards in the High Court when Mrs. Elva Gallagher appearing for her husband but without her husband, and accompanied by Mr. John Gill and the Victims of the Legal Profession (about a dozen in number) handed in to His Honour Justice Edwards a plethora of paperwork which His Honour Justice Edwards agreed to receive and read and give his judgement in the month of October 2007. This was in July 2007.
His Honour Justice Edwards delivered his considered and lengthy judgement (which was also committed to writing) on the 8th of October 2007. His Honour Justice Edwards not only furnished each party with a copy of the said judgement but also took the time read his judgement in it's entirety to the Court, which is not only attend by the parties to the action but all other persons who are involved in any matters on that day. His Honour Justice Edwards provided both parties (Sean McGlynn and Elva Gallagher) with his judgement and the formal order was issued thereafter to both parties.
Daniel Gallagher and his wife Elva Gallagher (his representative) refused to accept that His Honour Judge Edwards actually made an order, espousing since that he merely gave an opinion.
The fact is, we have an order of Mr. Justice Edwards dated the 8th of October 2007 which says otherwise, and to quote:
"IT IS ORDERED that:
1. The said appeal herein be and is hereby refused.
2. The said Order of the Circuit Court be and is hereby affirmed.
3. The Plaintiffs do recover as against the Defendants the costs of this Appeal when taxed and ascertained.
Mr. Justice Edwards accepted and read all of the documentation both of the Plaintiffs, Sean and Catherine McGlynn, and the plethora of documentation presented to him by Mrs. Elva Gallagher (assisted by Mr. John Gill) on behalf of her husband Daniel Gallagher and made his decision on a totally informed basis.
Yet. Mrs. Elva Gallagher on behalf of her husband does not accept that an Order was made by High Court.
Despite the Orders of Judge O'Hagan and Mr. Justice Edwards Mr/s Gallagher continue to occupy the land by having cattle on the land and having a lock and chain on the gate.
Tuesday 11th November 2008
Mr. Daniel Gallagher was brought before His Honour Judge O'Hagan on foot of an Order made by Judge O'Hagan in the Circuit Court sitting at Cavan town on the 14th of October 2008 (when Mr. Gallagher did not appear) to give an account of himself as to why he would not obey an Order of this Honourable Court made on the 9th of May 2006 and affirmed by the High Court of the 8th of October 2007.
Mr. Gallagher chose not to come to the court voluntarily although his wife, Mrs. Elva Gallagher, was there at an early hour. Mr. Gallagher waited for the Gardai acting on foot of the Order of His Honour Judge O'Hagan to bring him to the court and was duly brought to the court by the Gardai.
When the case was called Mrs. Elva Gallagher as usual espoused her mantra of "fraud", "deception" and so on but with no logical explanation or argument to back her mantra up. Mr. Gallagher when asked a question by His Honour Judge O'Hagan had this to say: "My wife represents me.". Even though he was the one going to jail. His Honour Judge O'Hagan alluded to a certain website on which his name had been placed in conjuction with this case and his name mentioned in the most insidious manner and although he did not put the blame on Mr. and Mrs. Gallagher he was acutely aware of the fact of the association of Mr/s Gallagher with the persons responsible for this website.
Judge O'Hagan found Mr. Gallagher to be in contempt of his Order and ordered that Mr. Gallagher be committed to prison and remain there until Tuesday next 18th November unless he "purge his contempt" (complies with the Order by removing his cattle and vacating the lands). He is to be brought before the Court in Carrick on Shannon on Tuesday next 18th November when if he does not purge his contempt Judge O'Hagan may sentence him to a further term in prison or impose a daily fine which will continue until the Order is complied with.
While all of this is going on the beneficiaries in the U.S.A. are being deprived of the balance of their entitlement and inheritance. They have received their respective shares of the monies left by Mrs. Friel a considerable time ago but they have had an extracted wait for their share of the proceeds of the sale of the land concerned the sale of which has been agreed but cannot complete due to the actions of Mr/s Gallagher.
THE WILL OF MRS. MADGE FRIEL
Here is the Will of the late Mrs. Friel. This Will is no longer a confidential document as the maker is deceased and the Will has been probabated and therefore is a document of public record.
Click on the photographs to enlarge if you wish to read the details.
NOTE: Since adding the photographs of the Will of the late Madge Friel here on my blog I see a (badly) typed copy of her Will has now appeared on crookedlawyers.com.
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TUESDAY 18th NOVEMBER 2008
Circuit Court sitting in Carrick-on-Shannon, Co Leitrim
As per the Order of Judge O'Hagan on the 11th of this month, Daniel Gallagher was brought before Judge O'Hagan sitting at Carrick-on-Shannon this morning, having spent the previous seven days in prison. Niall O'Neill, Barrister for Sean and Catherine McGlynn indicated that the lands were still not vacated as per the Order of the Court and that there still remained a chain and lock on the gate as put there by Mr. Gallagher. This was not disputed by Mr. Gallagher or his wife Elva Gallagher nor their companion John Gill of the VPLS.
Nothing having been put forward by or on behalf of Mr. Gallagher, Judge O'Hagan after indicating that he had considered the matter for the past week, decided to release Mr. Gallagher from custody but imposed a fine of €50 PER DAY for as long as he continues to be in contempt of the Order made by Judge O'Hagan on the 9th of May 2006. These fines will accumulate day by day. Judge O'Hagan indicated that he would review the matter in 3 months if Mr. Gallagher has still failed to comply and that Sean and Catherine McGlynn be at liberty to bring a further Motion for Attachment and Committal if necessary.
The daily fine of €50 is a fine payable to the State and does not in any way benefit the beneficiaries of the late Madge Friel. If the fines are not paid, it will be a matter for the Court to arrange for collection of same. By our calculations, at the end of 3 months the fine will total approximately €4,500.
On a further Application by Sean and Catherine McGlynn for Attachment and Committal, Judge O'Hagan has the power to commit Mr. Gallagher to prison again or to continue this fine, or such other fine as he decides, for a further period, and indeed, indefinately.
However, my husband and I are considering alternative or other options in order to complete the sale of the lands and the administration of the estate.
We will keep you posted.
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