'Burnt by the Sun' (RTE) part 2 pulled at the last minute

coylemj

This was a two part series covering Irish people who went mad buying foreign property during the pre-crash boom. The second part was due to be shown after the 9 o'clock news last night on RTE1 but it was pulled at the last minute.

Claire Byrne Live was pulled forward to fill the slot, following which they showed a tribute program about Terry Wogan.

It's still listed in the RTE1 schedule for last night. Click the link below, go to Mon. 6th and scroll to the late evening...

https://www.rte.ie/entertainment/listings/television/

Anyone hear any rumblings about solicitors' letters? You'd have to suspect that someone who featured on the program felt that they were defamed and sent a last minute threatening letter or even got an injunction.

brian_t

*** UPDATE – Episode 2 of Burnt by the Sun’, due to be broadcast at 9.35pm on April 6th, has had to be rescheduled because of a mix up with files due to remote working during COVID-19. We’ll let you know here when it is being shown.

http://www.diarmaidcondon.com/burnt-by-the-sun-episode-2/

Mav11

coylemj wrote: »

This was a two part series covering Irish people who went mad buying foreign property during the pre-crash boom. The second part was due to be shown after the 9 o'clock news last night on RTE1 but it was pulled at the last minute.

Claire Byrne Live was pulled forward to fill the slot, following which they showed a tribute program about Terry Wogan.

It's still listed in the RTE1 schedule for last night. Click the link below, go to Mon. 6th and scroll to the late evening...

https://www.rte.ie/entertainment/listings/television/

Anyone hear any rumblings about solicitors' letters? You'd have to suspect that someone who featured on the program felt that they were defamed and sent a last minute threatening letter or even got an injunction.

Yes, I have it on very good authority that this was indeed the case!!

Mav11

brian_t wrote: »

http://www.diarmaidcondon.com/burnt-by-the-sun-episode-2/

Smoke screen???

KildareP

Mav11 wrote: »

Smoke screen???

Not necessarily.

Broadcast master files usually run at several hundred gigabytes an hour.

Not a matter of plugging a flash drive in and quickly copying it over

Does seem odd they made no mention of rescheduling it though.

coylemj

Mav11 wrote: »

Yes, I have it on very good authority that this was indeed the case!!

So without naming names, what's your version of what happened to stop the broadcast?

That guy quoted by poster brian_t above (post #2) looks pretty legit and he says it was a technical mixup, nothing more.

Mav11

coylemj wrote: »

So without naming names, what's your version of what happened to stop the broadcast?

That guy quoted by poster brian_t above (post #2) looks pretty legit and he says it was a technical mixup, nothing more.

AFAIK, based on a reliable source, one of the main players became aware late in the day, that the programme was to be aired and threatened legal action alleging defamation.

Brian t's post above is legit, but for an organisation such as RTE, used to dealing with such issues on a daily / hourly basis, this is easily dealt with!! As he points out, a bit strange that it hasn't been rescheduled!! Gives time for RTE's legal eagles to look at it?

Caprica

I really enjoyed the first episode and was looking forward to number 2, so I was disappointed to see Clare Byrne live in its place. I thought it made for great viewing, it really was hard to believe the stupidity of people but sad to see them over 10 years later still paying for it.

I wonder will we ever see episode 2? The first has also been pulled from the RTÉ Player. I’d imagine their legal team is working flat out behind the scenes, I presume one of the ‘developers’ has been in contact.

Mav11

Caprica wrote: »

I really enjoyed the first episode and was looking forward to number 2, so I was disappointed to see Clare Byrne live in its place. I thought it made for great viewing, it really was hard to believe the stupidity of people but sad to see them over 10 years later still paying for it.

I wonder will we ever see episode 2? The first has also been pulled from the RTÉ Player. I’d imagine their legal team is working flat out behind the scenes, I presume one of the ‘developers’ has been in contact.

I suspect that you are probably right!

coylemj

From Diarmaid Condon, not sure if he was on the production team or was an external consultant for the series, link to his website in post #2.....

*** UPDATE – Episode 2 of Burnt by the Sun’, due to be broadcast at 9.35pm on April 6th, has had to be rescheduled because of a mix up with files due to remote working during COVID-19.

RTE has given a provisional date of Monday May 18th for Episode 2 of #BurntByTheSun (presumably at 9.35pm again, but this has not been confirmed). The producers are negotiating to have this brought forward to April. Episode 1 should be back on the RTE Player on Wednesday April 15th (Burnt by the Sun, Episode 1, RTE Player). Still nothing to do with legal threats, despite the conspiracy theories

Roanmore

Caprica wrote: »

I really enjoyed the first episode and was looking forward to number 2, so I was disappointed to see Clare Byrne live in its place. I thought it made for great viewing, it really was hard to believe the stupidity of people but sad to see them over 10 years later still paying for it.

I wonder will we ever see episode 2? The first has also been pulled from the RTÉ Player. I’d imagine their legal team is working flat out behind the scenes, I presume one of the ‘developers’ has been in contact.

That young woman who bought in Italy, did anybody advise her at all. I know people went mad in those days but my mouth was opening wider and wider the more she went on.

brian_t

coylemj wrote: »

RTE has given a provisional date of Monday May 18th for Episode 2 of #BurntByTheSun (presumably at 9.35pm again, but this has not been confirmed).

It appearing in the listings for the above time.

https://www.tvguide.co.uk/detail/3620660/25863418/burnt-by-the-sun

JP Liz V1

brian_t wrote: »

It appearing in the listings for the above time.

https://www.tvguide.co.uk/detail/3620660/25863418/burnt-by-the-sun

Yes just seen an ad also for it now

Thargor

Back tonight, havent seen any promotion for it though, I bet its been completely reedited from what they were going to show us before the "mix-up"...

bcklschaps

9:35 Rte1 tonight

Atlantic Dawn

Hopefully they will recreate the wheelbarrow of money the banks were going to their houses with to force them to buy property abroad.

ted1

I didn’t really feel for many of the people. The couple who split it up, bought an apartment for 140, worth about 100,000 less now. But would have received about 60k in rent. And had a great interest rate. Like that’s only 40k they are down. + they would of had use of it Over the ten years.

Their apartment in Dublin has probably lost multiple times what the french property has. Why make out as if they were burnt by the sun. When they would have been hung , drawn and quartered by the Irish market.

SEPT 23 1989

ted1 wrote: »

I didn’t really feel for many of the people. The coupe who split it up, bought an apartment fir 140, worth about 100,000 less know. But would have received about 60k in rent. And had a great interest rate. Like that’s only 40k they are down. + they would of had use of it Over the ten years.

Their apartment in Dublin has probably lost multiple times what the french property has. Why make out as if they were burnt by the sun. When they would have been hung , drawn and quartered by the Irish market.

Chicken feed compared to what was lost over here

Thargor

ted1 wrote: »

I didn’t really feel for many of the people. The coupe who split it up, bought an apartment fir 140, worth about 100,000 less know. But would have received about 60k in rent. And had a great interest rate. Like that’s only 40k they are down. + they would of had use of it Over the ten years.

Their apartment in Dublin has probably lost multiple times what the french property has. Why make out as if they were burnt by the sun. When they would have been hung , drawn and quartered by the Irish market.

Its boring, feels like Ive been watching for 2 hours...

scoobydude

Thargor wrote: »

Its boring, feels like Ive been watching for 2 hours...

Yeah I thought pat 1 was more interesting. Wonder what they removed

Muahahaha

Noticed between part 2 and part 1 a few weeks back many of those who were featured were northern Irish, seems the program makers struggled to find people in this country to talk on camera (which isnt surprising really)

The northern Ireland lad with the 340k apartment in Bulgaria, holy fcuk how did he manage to spend that amount of money. I remember seeing brochures for apartments out there for 50k dont mind 300k+. Im thinking he might have actually bought six or seven of them. Either way his investment is forever tainted now, no way would you feel like going out to Bulgaria on holidays to a place you know has cost you a fortune in lost money. It would be like picking at a scab.

Bellbottoms

This is boring.

It is not as if there wasn't enough dogey stuff going on back in the day. To make a compelling show.

Not much background on who these developers are in the show. And nothing about what they did with the money.

Bellbottoms

I don't think this woman can count or read a calendar.

"the resort officially is supposed to be open from May until October. So its a very very very very small season it's open. So it's three months max" ???

Muahahaha

Yeah twigged that myself, she wasnt the sharpest tool in the box.

Mad that they were being forced to pay 3,000+ in management fees, I thought it was bad enough here without paying those crazy prices in Bulgaria of all places.

bcklschaps

Yeah, I also thought part 1, was far better and more revealing. Part 2 seemed to have a lot of filler ...for example, they didn't need to interview both of that couple seperately.... felt like trying to fill up the minutes.

scoobydude

bcklschaps wrote: »

Yeah, I also thought part 1, was far better and more revealing. Part 2 seemed to have a lot of filler ...for example, they didn't need to interview both of that couple seperately.... felt like trying to fill up the minutes.

Yeah that was weird, especially considering they were both interviewed together in the apartment itself at the end?

Felt bad for yer man who bought the Bulgarian place only to have a big feic off air conditioning unit in his balcony.

Even though this episode was way lighter on content that part 1, you can't help but feel bad for them all getting taken for the ride like they did. I don't think people were inherently greedy, the property ladder ****e was everywhere during the last boom

fryup

any reason given for the delay in broadcast? legal issues?

brian_t

According to The Phoenix, High Court proceedings have been initiated against both RTE and Cornelia Street Productions.

In the first programme there was a clip of estate agent Alva Gunne (sister of Fintan) giving a sales pitch at the Four Seasons hotel in relation to the upmarket Palm Tiara residential complex in Dubai.

The Phoenix understands that there have been no complaints about this project (or Alva) and that the properties continue to find buyers. There is no suggestion that Gunne is involved in anything untoward.

After the programme aired she contacted her solicitors (Smith Foy & Partners) and the second episode was parked for six weeks.

This is in the current Phoenix.

Muahahaha

ah ha so thats what the hold up was.

Suppose context is key in how they displayed her in the program, I cant remember her bit

AndrewJRenko

Just on a vaguely related matter, did anyone see the Prime Time special on Tetrarch and the Citywest Golf Hotel?

https://www.dublinlive.ie/news/dublin-news/citywest-hotel-complex-owners-secure-18017419

https://www.rte.ie/news/primetime/2020/0703/1151175-watch-the-extraordinary-story-of-the-citywest-golf-hotel/


I'm surprised that it hasn't gotten more press coverage since then, but it seems to have been very quiet, here and on Twitter.

The crazy bit for me was the people who spent €350k or €550k to invest with someone like Mansfield who had a track record for, at best, playing hard and fast with regulations, without getting independent advice on the impacts of the lease conditions.

Muahahaha

Yeah I saw that report on Tetrach at Citywest. The investors there have been totally and utterly shafted, they cant even get proper access to the apartments they paid 500k for and at a time of a housing crises instead of making some rent they are lying empty (apart from that one homeless guy who was squatting there).

The vulture fund is clearly trying to grind the investors down until they accept something nominal like 100k for their apartments. They arent even allowed to connect water or electricity to them so the apartments are virtually worthless to anyone except the vulture fund. The plan is obviously for the fund to get them on the cheap and then to refurbish them and flip them at vast profits.

The legal aspect of it is interesting too. The investors signed into an agreement whereby the holding company controls the common areas. Which means that the investors cannot get access to their own property without permission of the holding company. Im surprised any solicitor allowed their client sign into such a one sided agreement, after all if you cant be guaranteed access then the property is virtually worthless. It would be interesting to know did their solicitors forewarn them of this possibility, given it was the Tiger days where anything went my guess is many didnt.

Thargor

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

The crazy bit for me was the people who spent €350k or €550k to invest with someone like Mansfield who had a track record for, at best, playing hard and fast with regulations, without getting independent advice on the impacts of the lease conditions.

Still paying their mortgages all these years later on those sad little rooms aswell, felt sorry for them.

Muahahaha

Yeah especially that woman interviewed, think she said she was a teacher and sunk every penny she had into buying an apartment as part of her pension. Now shes getting older and Tetrach are just dragging everything out knowing well many investors are getting on in years. Their strategy is to break them until they sell for a pittance just to put the nightmare behind them.

And everything is legal and all above board, the solicotors should be shot for allowing their clients sign a lease agreement that didnt allow them unencumbered access to their own property. Im also surprised the banks lent money under that arrangement too, they wouldnt nowadays as they always demand unencumbered legal access in case they have to repossess the property.

AndrewJRenko

Muahahaha wrote: »

The legal aspect of it is interesting too. The investors signed into an agreement whereby the holding company controls the common areas. Which means that the investors cannot get access to their own property without permission of the holding company. Im surprised any solicitor allowed their client sign into such a one sided agreement, after all if you cant be guaranteed access then the property is virtually worthless. It would be interesting to know did their solicitors forewarn them of this possibility, given it was the Tiger days where anything went my guess is many didnt.

That's the key issue for me. I wonder of people were so keen to get a slice of Mansfield's 'success' that they were happy to dive in without really considering the other possible options.

Particularly crazy for the teacher lady to put all her retirement eggs (beyond her standard occupational pension) into this one basket.

Cal4567

Muahahaha wrote: »

Yeah I saw that report on Tetrach at Citywest. The investors there have been totally and utterly shafted, they cant even get proper access to the apartments they paid 500k for and at a time of a housing crises instead of making some rent they are lying empty (apart from that one homeless guy who was squatting there).

The vulture fund is clearly trying to grind the investors down until they accept something nominal like 100k for their apartments. They arent even allowed to connect water or electricity to them so the apartments are virtually worthless to anyone except the vulture fund. The plan is obviously for the fund to get them on the cheap and then to refurbish them and flip them at vast profits.

The legal aspect of it is interesting too. The investors signed into an agreement whereby the holding company controls the common areas. Which means that the investors cannot get access to their own property without permission of the holding company. Im surprised any solicitor allowed their client sign into such a one sided agreement, after all if you cant be guaranteed access then the property is virtually worthless. It would be interesting to know did their solicitors forewarn them of this possibility, given it was the Tiger days where anything went my guess is many didnt.

I have seen a few examples now over the last few years as some who acquired in the mad years have tried to sell land and property. Never mind overpaying but agreeing silly things such as this. You have to question the legal advice given at the time.

Atlantic Dawn

Cal4567 wrote: »

I have seen a few examples now over the last few years as some who acquired in the mad years have tried to sell land and property. Never mind overpaying but agreeing silly things such as this. You have to question the legal advice given at the time.

Back then as far as I know the same solicitor could act for the developer and buyer so there could be (not saying there was in these cases) a conflict of interest in them wanting the sale to go through no matter what. Now there has to be seperate solicitors acting on each parties behalf.

Most of the people in the Citywest case on Prime Time were first time property investors, they really knew absolutely nothing about what they were spending their life savings on, crazy.

AndrewJRenko

Cal4567 wrote: »

You have to question the legal advice given at the time.

Wouldn't it be interesting to know if there was a 'recommended solicitor' to do the conveyancing at cut price, without asking too many questions perhaps?

ShamNNspace

This deal was signed up fairly quick around the start of the pandemic.. Tetrarch capital follow the money

Muahahaha

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

Back then as far as I know the same solicitor could act for the developer and buyer so there could be (not saying there was in these cases) a conflict of interest in them wanting the sale to go through no matter what. Now there has to be seperate solicitors acting on each parties behalf.

Most of the people in the Citywest case on Prime Time were first time property investors, they really knew absolutely nothing about what they were spending their life savings on, crazy.

Yeah t was the case back in the boom that a solicitor could act for both the vendor and the purchaser. It was a complete conflict of interest but its what went on in the legal industry until it got slightly reformed after the crash.

It also happened a lot with foreign bought property where the developer would send investors into the arms of a local lawyer who was also in the pay of the developer. Then youd have investors signing contracts in whatever foreign language and not have a clue what they were signing into. Eventually when the investment went tits up they get the contract translated and realise they were completely shafted by the developer.