A tenant who made his neighbours lives a misery for seven years is to lose his home, following a County Court ruling. The Vale Housing Association applied for a possession order against Mr Steven Cooke of Quarry Road in Bayworth in September 2002 in response to complaints from other tenants and the Parish Council that he was causing an unbearable and continuing disturbance. At the initial hearing, a Suspended Possession Order was issued and Mr Cooke gave an undertaking to improve his behaviour. Further complaints of anti-social behaviour were made, allowing the Association to take the matter back to court and gain a Possession Order by the County Court in December 2003. Mr Cooke eventually had to be forcibly evicted from the property on 2nd March 2004 as he had not left within the agreed time, even after being granted an extension on the original deadline by the court.
Complaints from neighbours, received throughout the course of Mr Cooke’s tenancy, included reports of loud music being played at all hours of the day and night, noise from a cockerel being kept in the garden, verbal abuse and threatening behaviour.
Mr Cooke was given written and verbal warnings by housing association staff that his behaviour was putting his home at risk and a support worker was assigned to him to help improve the conduct of his tenancy. He was also warned that as he had broken his undertaking the Association would apply to court for possession.
David Rundle, Housing Manager at the Vale Housing Association, said With cases like these we have to protect residents who are suffering from unacceptable levels of anti-social behaviour. Our tenancy agreement was clearly breached in a number of ways and we needed to take action. I hope this action will now enable other residents in Bayworth to live in peace.
Housing Manager or
Communications and Research Assistant
01235 536001