A number of families living on a Co Donegal housing estate face eviction after a property company says it must withdraw an offer to sell the homes to Donegal County Council.
The nine homes are currently owned by Twin Estates, a property company with offices both in Letterkenny and London.
The company planned to put the homes at The Forest Estate at Ballymacool in Letterkenny on the market meaning families living in the houses would be evicted.
Some of the tenants have been renting their homes on the estate for more than 14 years.
The fears and anxieties of the tenants were eased when Donegal County Council stepped in saying they were considering purchasing the homes which would have left the families as tenants.
In April this year the council said it had to complete checks on the homes but “remains committed” to buying the properties.
“We would hope that Twin Estates Ltd will allow tenants to remain in situ until the process concludes,” the council said in a statement.
However, Twin Estates has now written to the tenants saying they must withdraw their offer because they have had no contact from the council.
In a letter, Mr Phil Boyle, development executive with Twin Estates, wrote to tenants saying it was with "deep regret" that he was writing to them to inform them of the latest situation especially as it occurred just before Christmas.
He wrote "It is with the deepest regret, especially at this time of year, that I must now withdraw my company’s offer to sell 9 number houses at Ballymacool, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal to the Donegal County Council.
"This decision has not been taken lightly but due to a lack of communication and urgency from the council, I feel that it is the only option as my company cannot afford to allow the sale of these houses to go on indefinitely."
The company began the process of selling their residential property portfolio on the Ballymacool estate in November 2023.
The company has since been in negotiation with the council to clarify they would be interested in purchasing some of these properties under the Tenant-in-Situ scheme.
As part of this process, in January this year Donegal County Council instructed HD McKay Consulting Engineers to examine the properties on offer.
The Twin Estates company said it has carried out all block testing and analysis in accordance with I.S. 465, the results of which were sent to the council two months ago on the 14th of October 2024 last.
However, the company says it has not heard back from Donegal County Council since.
The spokesperson added "I have been awaiting a decision ever since. I have called and emailed several times over the past three weeks looking for an update but with no success."
The letter from Twin Estates then lists a number of emails of Donegal County Council executives and urges the tenants to contact them for clarification on the sale of the homes.
The spokesperson added "Maybe you will succeed in getting answers that I have not. I would also urge you to contact your local councillor and demand an answer once and for all.
"However, as I have still NOT received clear communication from the council, sadly I must take it that it is not The Donegal County Councils intention to proceed with the purchase of the properties.
"I must therefore proceed to sell these houses privately as my company cannot afford to allow the sale of these houses to go on indefinitely."
A father of one family living on the estate who asked not to be identified said he feels "dead from the inside" adding he is living with constant stress and fear of the unknown.
He added "The worst is to explain this to children that they must say goodbye to their best friends and to the environment that they have been attached to for a very long time.
"And it's hard to even imagine where to find alternative accommodation in this country because of the lack of rental properties especially here in Donegal and on top of this the amount of rent is impossible to cover.
"It's a disaster and everyone feels the same."
Donegal County Council has been contacted for an updated reaction.
