Lindsay Felstead

Lindsay is Head of our Housing Management team and jointly leads our Social Housing sector team. Lindsay was called to the Bar in 2000 and subsequently admitted as a Solicitor in 2005.

Lindsay has a specialist advocacy skill set and is often praised by clients for her no-nonsense, practical attitude.

Lindsay regularly acts for regional and national Housing Providers and Local Authorities in actions including: Anti-social behaviour injunctions; Committal proceedings; Claims for possession against tenants, trespassers and former tenants holding over; Possession and injunction proceedings against travellers and persons unknown; Advising on and drafting tenancy / licence agreements, and policies and procedures; Advising on all aspects of tenancy management issues; Common law injunctions; and Judicial review and appeals.

Lindsay has provided training on all aspects of housing management and regularly speaks at national and regional conferences including CIH, the National Housing Federation and Resolve.

Notable cases include: Places for People v Sharples [2012] and Leeds & Yorkshire v Vertigan [2010].

Experience

• Possession: possession proceedings issued against a tenant of an older persons scheme who was a chronic alcoholic. ASB perpetrated by tenant and his dog including failing to clear up after the dog causing issues with foul smells within the block. Tenant deemed to lack capacity and so represented by the Official Solicitor. Contested proceedings. Outright order for possession made at trial due to tenants inability / unwillingness to modify behaviour albeit Defendant argued for no order for possession.
• Injunction / possession: Injunction proceedings issued on a ‘without notice’ basis following reports that tenant had threatened violence to a neighbour who was a witness in possession proceedings that had already been issued. Possession of the property was obtained.
• Housing Fraud: Instructed by a Social Housing provider in respect of recovering possession of a property where the tenant had died. There was a remaining occupant of the premises who advised that he was the tenant’s partner and that he wanted to succeed to the tenancy. The possession proceedings against the occupant continued to a contested trial where the court found that the Defendant had not resided at our clients premises as the tenant’s partner and made an order for immediate possession. A costs order was also obtained.