Home office: Manchester
Stuart is an Associate Solicitor in Clarke Willmott’s Manchester Housing Management team.
He previously spent approximately 15 years working as a housing officer / manager for two local authorities and a housing association, working on all aspects of housing management, including tenancy management and ASB.
In 2004, Stuart moved to the legal sector, working “in house” for a large housing provider in Greater Manchester. He qualified as a Fellow of the Institute of Legal Executives in 2010, then as a solicitor in 2013. He was Deputy Group Solicitor for a housing provider with over 20,000 properties before moving to Clarke Willmott.
Stuart acts for and represents numerous Housing Associations and Local authorities in actions including, Anti-Social Behaviour Injunctions; Claims for possession; Committal applications; Common law breach of tenancy Injunctions on the basis of property and garden condition, including hoarding, and access. He has extensive experience of Housing Disrepair, acting for and defending cases for numerous social landlords and regularly provides training and advice for social landlords in this area.
Experience
- Obtaining without notice injunction and exclusion order against a visitor to a property who was causing anti social behaviour and threatening other residents / witnesses.
- Applying to set aside a default judgement obtained in a housing disrepair claim. Advocating at court and successfully setting aside the judgement.
- Acting for a landlord and obtaining possession of a property on mandatory grounds for possession
- Advocating in court in respect of a committal hearing where the Defendant had previously breached an injunction order. Defendant sentenced to period of imprisonment.
- Advising and Defending landlords against housing disrepair claims, including “stand alone” and counterclaims. Dealing with all aspects of claims and litigation proceedings.
- Obtained outright possession order against resident who was alleged to be involved in anti-social behaviour and drug dealing. Advocated at court hearing when defendant applied to suspend warrant for eviction; advocated at court hearing when Defendant appealed refusal to suspend eviction; warrant executed and possession of property obtained.