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Just delivered an interesting day’s training for Monmouthshire Housing Association in Pontypool. ‘Possession Proceedings for Housing Officers’.
It’s a course I’ve done for nearly 15 years now.
I always tell delegates that I am the best person to deliver it because in a housing career spanning 30 years I have never once taken anyone to court for possession………………….but I’ve successfully defended hundreds of cases.
I’m the annoying defence advocate that stops the possession claims in their tracks, so I’m best place to reveal my bag of dirty tricks.
In 15 years of hearing of the experiences of housing officers from Cornwall to Newcastle, one thing remains the same for everyone, including me.
Exasperation and mystification at the decisions of county court judges. My experience has been and seems to be the experience of course delegates, is that you win cases that you thought didn’t stand a prayer and lose ones you thought were going to be ‘Slam-Dunks’.
The fact is that even despite court rules and legislation that should be followed uniformly judge seem….if you’ll forgive the pun, A law unto themselves.
You can get a good judge on a bad day or a judge who normally scowls and intimidates, suddenly smile sweetly and give you everything you ask for.
Also you can get judges for whom strict adherence to detail is paramount and others who seem to use procedures and regulation as a form of gentle indicator, not to be bothered with too much.
Trouble is, you can’t pick and choose the judge for the case. If we could, we would all win 100% of cases.
It’s the one element I cant teach on a course “What the judge might do”. Don’t trust anyone who offers to either.
If you are interested in having Ben train your housing staff, see the courses available here.
