Philip Kirk review: Blackmail - Extortion 1

I am the owner of a large property in Ballyconnel, Co Cavan in Ireland. A business acquaintance of mine, a Mr Philip Kirk from Dundalk, Co. Louth, offered to assist me in selling this property. We did not draw up a contract, rather agreed that he would be paid the sum of €5, 000 from the sale proceeds of the house. I asked him to find buyers at the price of €112, 000 minimum which would be more than 30% lower than the Market Value, so I assumed that this would be no challenge to him.

In fairness to Mr Kirk he provided contact details for 4 different parties, over a period of several weeks. The first party, a UK-based business man, after initial interest, decided that the property was 'too remote' for him. I did not contact the second and third numbers because I discovered that there had been some theft of materials from the house including copper piping and I couldn't
show the house because it wasn't ready to view. Mr Kirk then provided a fourth number (a lady buyer I was told) who I texted without response.

Mr Kirk now threatens to use this forum to extort a substantial fee from me. Every sane person that has sold a house realises that sensible sales contracts reward the agent upon a successful sale, at a price that is acceptable to the Seller. Mr Kirk cannot therefore expect to receive any payment at all, this is spite of my offer to progress discussions with buyers he may bring to the table. This offer has been rejected by Mr Kirk and he now threatens to damage my good reputation unless I succumb to his blackmail and pay him a substantial sum.