Victoria Square apartments Belfast: Resident reveals rates rebate cheques and court summons cancelled

Since then, residents have been unable to live in their apartments or sell them.

However they have still been liable for any outstanding mortgage payments and rates.

Residents that refused to pay their rates have been pursued via court summons.

Earlier this year the High Court rejected an application by residents for compensation from the builders and architects, because of a six year legal time limit on claims.

Stormont Executive ministers have promised to extend the deadline in law to allow residents to appeal the ruling.

One resident told the BBC Nolan Show today that she has now been given a rebate on rates she paid since the evacuation in 2019.

"We had a very nice surprise at the end of last week," she said. "We got an envelope from Land and Property Services with our cheque for the refund of rates we had paid after we left the apartment."

The cheque was worth over £3000.

"We had no idea how much we would have got because we have been one of the apartments that had stopped paying [our rates," she said.

She went on to do "a wee happy dance in the kitchen" when she opened the cheques, she said.

The news that an outstanding court summons in relation to the matter had also been cancelled was "absolutely wonderful and amazing," she said, paying tribute to the Nolan Show for its support.

A Department of Finance spokesperson said: “The Finance Minister was determined to find a way forward in respect of rates for the Victoria Square Apartment ratepayers, due to the significant turmoil they faced through no fault of their own and in March announced the owners would no longer be liable for rates and that refunds would be issued for rates paid since April 2019.”