Origin Housing win eviction order against Farrier Street tenant - Tracey Long made life misery for neighbours

Mandy Eugeniou and Robert Perdicou: ‘a right to have peace, to have quiet’

Published: 26 January 2012
by GEORGIA GRAHAM

A HOUSING association has won an eviction order against a tenant accused of making life misery for neighbours.

Judge Christopher Mitchell made the order at Central London County Court in Regent’s Park after hearing how one couple moved out after reporting insults, all-night parties and an arson attack on their home.

He said: “I do not think I have come across a worse case of intimidation and I have tried very many of these possession claims based on nuisance.”

Tracey Long was told to leave the block in Farrier Street, Camden Town, under the court order served in November. The civil action was taken by Origin Housing.

Mandy Eugeniou, 40, along with new partner and fellow resident Robert Perdicou, 45, will now return to their home and try to rebuild their life.

They were the key witnesses in the case. In one of the most frightening episodes, a wooden trellis on the outside of Ms Eugeniou’s flat was set on fire while she was inside.

The couple later moved to a “safe house” provided by the council.

Ms Long’s boyfriend, Steven Britten, later admitted arson at Blackfriars Crown Court and was jailed for 15 months in June last year.

Ms Long denied that her behaviour had a serious adverse affect on her neighbours, accepting only that she was loud and had barbecues which lots of people attended.

Ms Eugeniou said after the hearing: “My aim was never to get rid of anyone – but through this we have all lost our flats.

We are here in a safe house and she has been evicted.

I want to go back because it is my home. I see my home as more than just a flat.

It is part of a community.

To protect that living space and community you need to take action when people threaten it, you need to fight for that space.”

Mr Perdicou said of their ordeal: “It affected my health, it was very difficult and I was very low about it.

This is what we have been fighting for the whole time – a right to have peace, to have quiet.”

A spokesman for Origin Housing said: “We have taken a number of measures to ensure the safety of residents and give peace of mind to witnesses.”

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Comments

Submitted by Anonymous on Sat, 2012-01-28 18:56.

We need social housing to

The system has to take 'needs' into account..there are people who have real and serious needs and there always will be......but what has generally happened since the "great sale of the council home" is that social housing has been 'ghettoised' into two groups: those who have such needs and those who can play the system. Thats why its hard to find an estate which isnt suffering from this sort of culture, where those who play the system have little regard or appreication for what they have, or their neighbours. They live beside vulnerable people who simply have no capacity to challenge their lifestyle. Coupled with the fact that such people know how to access resources such as legal aid, making eviction cases long, demoralising and exhausting. By the time the court case comes round, witnesses are vulnerable to reprisals.

Submitted by Anonymous on Sun, 2012-03-25 23:26.

Social Housing Fraud

I understand your frustration with these low-lifes. You would not believe the disposible income these people have - far more than those of us working for a living. Next time you're in a Fitness First Gym up Crouch Hill watch out for this one nicking your bag, though you're probably at work when they are there. Oh, and take a look at her motability car parked outside, tax free of course! It takes your breath away how little these people contribute to society whilst taking so much.

I hope the decent people left in Farrier Street enjoy their life without further interference from this scum. Good riddance to bad rubbish!!!!
Respect for taking this to the courts.

Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 2012-01-27 20:12.

A perfect example of "needs" based allocation in action...

Doubtless the evicted tenant had shown all the necessary characteristics necessary to game the "needs" based allocation system in order the get the property in the first place; fecklessness, welfare dependency, alcoholism, junkie, lots of kids from different absent fathers etc. All great attributes for getting housed. Any chance Camden will follow Wandsworth and Westminster and start housing useful people who work, actually pay their own rent and don't make life hell for their neighbours? Not holding breath...