It was revealed yesterday that the practice began earlier this month, prior to the first of the new year repossession court hearings in the city on January 6.
It’s understood up to eight letters have been hand delivered by an appointed messenger of the court, to addresses in the Limerick area since the start of 2017.
The decision to contact the defendants was made by County Registrar Pat Wallace, without the knowledge of the Courts Service headquarters in Dublin, reliable sources said.
Last May, the Limerick repossession court was abandoned after 100 anti-evictions protestors interrupted proceedings leading to chaotic scenes in which extra gardaí were called to the court to remove the demonstrators.
Following this, Mr Wallace decided to end the normal practice of publishing the Limerick repossession court list and to instead arrange for defendants to be informed of their cases by the Courts Service.
The decision to hand deliver the letters is seen as a practical solution to a practical problem, sources stated.