Were You a victim of Grant?
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Got an e-mail back from the site in question stating that he had never practiced in Dublin; there is a good article in this for a journalist either tracking the guy down to a fairly unsalubrious part of the M25 connurbation or highlighting the risks of bloggers linking a common name with an entirely innocent party.
What has happened to the Gardiner Street Terrace presumably it now complies fully with the fire regs?
@PVC King wrote:
Got an e-mail back from the site in question stating that he had never practiced in Dublin; there is a good article in this for a journalist either tracking the guy down to a fairly unsalubrious part of the M25 connurbation or highlighting the risks of bloggers linking a common name with an entirely innocent party.
well, either the person who emailed you is lying or a vary lazy sunday times journo took his info off this site. Half page article on this very topic on page 5 of the Sunday Times news section.
May 31, 2009
Fake architect opens design practice in UK
David Grant, who was exposed by an RTE documentary, claims to have 25 years’ experience in the industry Colin Coyle
David Grant, a businessman who falsely claimed to be an architect and who was exposed by an RTE Television documentary, is now operating an “architecture” practice in England.Grant, who remains the subject of court proceedings with Dublin city council, is running Inspire Design in the East End of London. He is described on the company’s website as having “over 25 years’ experience in architecture, design, property development and planning applications”.
Dublin city council won a judgment against Grant earlier this year in relation to a hostel that he operates at 7-10 Upper Gardiner Street, and is awaiting a final order in relation to the case.
Grant pleaded guilty in 2007 to allowing dangerous buildings on Upper Gardiner Street to be used as a hostel for 170 people, including children. The council sought to have Grant jailed after it emerged that the Georgian building had been turned into a hostel without planning permission or a fire safety certificate.
Grant committed to selling two properties he owned in the city centre to pay for remedial works on the hostel, which still operates today under the name Celtic Inn.
Two years later he is still trying to sell both properties to fund further works at the hostel. He is seeking ¤1.195m for 7 Adelaide Road in Dublin 2, which he also operated as a hostel before it was gutted by fire in 2005. Earlier this month he secured planning consent to convert the fire-damaged building into 12 apartments.
The property’s asking price has been dropped from €2.5m since it first came on the market almost two years ago. Grant is also trying to sell his former Dublin residence, 61 Haddington Road in Ballsbridge, for ¤1.25m, reduced from €1.6m when it first came on the market two years ago.
Grant left Ireland following a Prime Time investigation, which revealed that he set himself up as an architect without formal qualifications. After attracting clients through a series of newspaper advertisements, Grant applied for planning permission for hundreds of infill homes in “corner sites” and side gardens in Dublin.
It later emerged that up to two-thirds of his applications to one council were rejected — three times more than the average. Grant claimed afterwards that his business had been “wiped out” following the broadcast of the documentary.
In 2003 Grant was ordered by a judge to pay a homeless man €250 every month to meet the cost of accommodation after he illegally evicted him from a bedsit in the building at Upper Gardiner Street that he had recently purchased. After removing the epileptic from his accommodation, Grant and construction workers demolished the bedsit.
The businessman was also previously the subject of an exposé by a Scottish newspaper. In the 1990s he operated as a landlord in Glasgow. A number of students lost deposits after Grant “rented” property to them that was already occupied.
On the website of his London business, he claims that he has been “consulted as an expert and written articles” in Irish newspapers. He failed to respond to calls or e-mails last week.
Fake architect prosecuted – for the second time
2 June, 2009By Marguerite Lazell
A man who falsely called himself an architect has been fined £1,500 and ordered to pay £4,500 in costs after being pleading guilty to misusing the title architect.
It is the second time David Grant of east London-based Inspire Design has been successfully prosecuted for breaching Section 20 of the Architects Act, having been fined £200 and ordered to pay £1,300 costs at a previous hearing in September 2006, also brought by the Arb.
The latest charges brought against Grant included advertising under the “architects” listing in a telephone directory and using the title on the company’s website.
Grant was found guilty of three breaches of Section 20 of the Architects Act at Stratford Magistrates’ Court on May 13.
A spokesman for Arb’s professional standards department said: “The level of fine and costs awarded in this case send a strong message to anyone who is fraudulently using the title architect. Arb remains committed to bringing such individuals to justice.”
This weekend Grant was the subject of an article in the Sunday Times, which described how the “fake architect” had set up in London, claiming 25 years’ experience, after a television documentary by RTE in Ireland revealed a catalogue of property dealings which included operating a hostel in Dublin without planning permission or a fire-safety certificate.
@SirRaymondMang wrote:
Where are these articles he claimed to have published in the Sunday Times and Irish Independent?
The articles published were about him not by him 😉
to quote his website
“Our principal: Mr. David Grant has over 25 years experience in Architecture, Design property development and planning applications, of small, medium and large scale projects. We have completed design projects in 7 countries.
He has been consulted as an expert & written articles published in “The Sunday Times” & “The Irish Independent” Newspapers.”
fined £200 and ordered to pay £1,300 costs
A spokesman for Arb’s professional standards department said: “The level of fine and costs awarded in this case send a strong message to anyone who is fraudulently using the title architect. Arb remains committed to bringing such individuals to justice.”
Are they having a laugh? £1500
http://www.arb.org.uk/registration/fees-2009.shtml
Probably works out cheaper for him in the long run…
@SirRaymondMang wrote:
to quote his website
“Our principal: Mr. David Grant has over 25 years experience in Architecture, Design property development and planning applications, of small, medium and large scale projects. We have completed design projects in 7 countries.
He has been consulted as an expert & written articles published in “The Sunday Times” & “The Irish Independent” Newspapers.”
Face it, his ‘website’ is as farcical as the man himself. Naturally he’s going to hype up his profile. What annoys me is the fact that he still gets away with it and the little fines do little to prevent him making a career change. Maybe he could take up BER assessing.
Incidentally, there are few other companies I have come across that have have a team of highly qualified ‘Architects and other disciplines’, yet the highest qualification they possess is a certificate in building studies (if lucky).
It is quite worrying that qualifications in any profession mean so little these days.
@parka wrote:
is a certificate in building studies (if lucky).
It is quite worrying that qualifications in any profession mean so little these days.At the end of the day its just an important piece of paper…
It does not guarantee a job it does not guarantee a good service or a career…
Its called the education industry and they appear better networked than the architects…Is this the same David Grant?
ThePost.ie
Architect ordered to pay €663,000 on repossessed house
31 January 2010 By Kieron WoodAn architect whose investment property was repossessed and sold after he missed mortgage payments is facing further payments of more than €663,000.
David Grant has been ordered by the High Court to repay ICS Building Society the remainder of a mortgage on the property even though it seized it back from him. Grant had appealed to the High Court, saying that the bank’s loan to him was ‘‘reckless’’ and its claim ‘‘unfair’’.
He asked why he should be asked to repay the full loan when the banks in general were being bailed out by the Irish taxpayer. In the court last week, High Court judge Peter Charleton said that Grant and ICS both seemed to have taken the same ‘‘overvalued view’’ about the value of the house and land near Newtownmountkennedy in Co Wicklow.
Grant paid €372,033 for the property in 2002, intending to build a housing estate. He borrowed €788,000 from the ICS in 2003 and a further €92,000 in 2004. The loans were secured by a mortgage on the property, which ICS valued at €1.1 million.
By 2007, Grant still owed €811,029. In December 2008, the building society repossessed the property, which was sold last September for €355,000. The Master of the High Court granted ICS judgment for e€1,007,103, less the sale proceeds.
Grant told the court he had a legitimate expectation that he would be able to develop the property so he could keep up his repayments and ultimately make a profit. When he borrowed the money from ICS, he considered his investment to be ‘‘sound, prudent and wise’’.
However, Charleton said that it wasn’t accurate to claim that a mortgage was effectively a promise that, in the event of default, the bank would simply sell off the property and write off the rest of the debt.
The judge said ICS had used a ‘‘serious auctioneer’’ who had secured ‘‘the best price reasonably to be obtained’’ in 2009.
He said the low selling price had ‘‘more to do with domestic lack of prudence’’ than Grant’s claim of a ‘‘major, economic and financial worldwide collapse’’.
Can only be!
I know Kieron Wood (the auther of that article). Must give him the lowdown on registration. Can’t imagine Grant is an ‘architect’ any more!
I’ve already mailed a couple of links to the SBP questioning his identity and notified the RIAI.
Its precisely this kind of loose reporting that brings qualified architects into disrepute by association in the public eye.
There seems little point in making the rest of the prefession jumpt through hoops to become registered if they’re not already members of the RIAI and letter papers of record publish errors like this.
Assuming that is indeed the case and its not some other David Grant – there is at least one whom I understand is a Fianna Fáil politician…
ONQ.
By Myles BUCHANAN
Wednesday February 03 2010
A WICKLOW architect has been ordered to pay a € 663,000 debt on his re-possessed house in Newtownmountkennedy.
David Grant has been ordered by the High Court to pay ICS Building Society the remainder of a mortgage on the Newtown property even though it seized it back from him.
Mr. Grant’s investment property was already repossessed after he missed mortgage payments.
Mr. Grant had appealed to the High Court, claiming the bank’s loan to him was ‘reckless’ and its claim ‘unfair.’ He also asked why he should be asked to repay the full loan when the banks were being bailed out by taxpayers’ money.
High Court Judge, Peter Charleton, said both Mr. Grant and ICS had taken an ‘overvalued view’ over the value of the house and land.
Mr. Grant bought the property in 2002 for €372,033 with the intention of building a housing estate. In 2003 he secured a € 788,000 loan from ICS in 2003 and borrowed a further € 92,000 in 2004. The loans were secured through a mortgage on the property.
By 2007 € 811,029 was owed and in December of 2008 ICS repossess the property. It was sold last September for € 355,000. The Master of the High Court granted ICS judgement for € 1,007,103, less the sale proceeds.
Mr. Grant said he considered the investment to be ‘ sound, prudent and wise’ when he borrowed the money.
He had a legitimate expectation that he would be able to develop the property so he could make his repayments and ultimately make a profit.
Judge Charleton, however, said it wasn’t accurate to claim a mortgage was effectively a promise that, in the event of a default, the bank would simply sell off the property and write off the rest of the debt.
He added that ICS had used a ‘serious auctioneer’ who secured the ‘best price reasonably to be obtained’ in 2009.
He felt the low selling price had ‘more to do with domestic lack of prudence’ than Mr. Grant’s claim of a ‘major, economic and financial worldwide collapse.’
– Myles BUCHANAN
ONQ, looks like you’ll have to e-mail the Independent as well!
David Grant is in Rio De Janiero. He lives on Rua Miguel Lemos, one block from Avenida Atlantica. His web site is http://brazilpropertunities.com/. His telephone number is 55-21-9360-8077. He has coloured his hair jet black and lost a stone plus many pounds. He frequents a pub named Balcony Bar.
From Sunday Business Post (19.06.11):
Developer and landlord David Grant will see his former home on Haddington Road in Ballsbridge, Dublin 4 go under the hammer for less than €400,000, a quarter of its original asking price, at the Allsop/Space auction of distressed properties next month.
Number 61 Haddington Road failed to sell at auction in 2006 with an advised minimum value of €1.6 million, but now it’s likely to be sold for about a quarter of the price next month.
The mid-terrace building is being auctioned ‘‘on the instructions of the mortgagee in possession’’ with a reserve not to exceed €395,000, according to the auction catalogue. Grant’s former home is situated on the south side of Haddington Road, just off Baggot Street.
The accommodation is arranged over lower ground, raised ground and first floors beneath a pitched roof. Internally it’s arranged as two-self contained residential units.
It is being sold with vacant possession. In October 2009, the Dublin County Registrar’s Court heard that Grant owed the Bank of Scotland (Ireland) an outstanding balance of just over €1.3 million on a house on Haddington Road, Ballsbridge. The bank was seeking possession of the property on foot of an unpaid mortgage.
Grant was the subject of an RTE Prime Time programme in 2007 that questioned his claim to be an architect. Afterwards he had set up business as Inspire Design in east London.
But in May 2009 he was charged and ordered by Stratford London magistrates court to pay a total of €6,000 in fines and costs for falsely listing himself as an architect in the telephone directory and on his company website.
@SirRaymondMang wrote:
By Myles BUCHANAN
Wednesday February 03 2010
A WICKLOW architect has been ordered to pay a € 663,000 debt on his re-possessed house in Newtownmountkennedy.
David Grant has been ordered by the High Court to pay ICS Building Society the remainder of a mortgage on the Newtown property even though it seized it back from him.
Mr. Grant’s investment property was already repossessed after he missed mortgage payments.
Mr. Grant had appealed to the High Court, claiming the bank’s loan to him was ‘reckless’ and its claim ‘unfair.’ He also asked why he should be asked to repay the full loan when the banks were being bailed out by taxpayers’ money.
High Court Judge, Peter Charleton, said both Mr. Grant and ICS had taken an ‘overvalued view’ over the value of the house and land.
Mr. Grant bought the property in 2002 for €372,033 with the intention of building a housing estate. In 2003 he secured a € 788,000 loan from ICS in 2003 and borrowed a further € 92,000 in 2004. The loans were secured through a mortgage on the property.
By 2007 € 811,029 was owed and in December of 2008 ICS repossess the property. It was sold last September for € 355,000. The Master of the High Court granted ICS judgement for € 1,007,103, less the sale proceeds.
Mr. Grant said he considered the investment to be ‘ sound, prudent and wise’ when he borrowed the money.
He had a legitimate expectation that he would be able to develop the property so he could make his repayments and ultimately make a profit.
Judge Charleton, however, said it wasn’t accurate to claim a mortgage was effectively a promise that, in the event of a default, the bank would simply sell off the property and write off the rest of the debt.
He added that ICS had used a ‘serious auctioneer’ who secured the ‘best price reasonably to be obtained’ in 2009.
He felt the low selling price had ‘more to do with domestic lack of prudence’ than Mr. Grant’s claim of a ‘major, economic and financial worldwide collapse.’
– Myles BUCHANAN
ONQ, looks like you’ll have to e-mail the Independent as well!
Sorry I missed this Sir Raymond.
I’ve given up doing other people’s jobs for them.
I intend joining the RIAI and pressuring them to get their act together on things like this.ONQ.
@whoknows4sure wrote:
David Grant is in Rio De Janiero. He lives on Rua Miguel Lemos, one block from Avenida Atlantica. His web site is http://brazilpropertunities.com/. His telephone number is 55-21-9360-8077. He has coloured his hair jet black and lost a stone plus many pounds. He frequents a pub named Balcony Bar.
LOL!
How do you know all this stuff?
ONQ.
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