Catherine Craven
Principal Associate
Experience
Catherine is a Principal Associate within the Housing Management team. Catherine joined Capsticks in September 2014 and since that time has acted almost solely for social landlords, and has built up extensive expertise in housing management litigation.
Expertise
Catherine advises social housing landlords on all aspects of housing management and has expertise in drafting and preparing applications for Anti-Social Behaviour Injunctions, including frequently obtaining injunctions on an emergency, without notice basis. Catherine also has expertise in dealing with Youth Injunctions and breach of tenancy injunctions. Catherine supervises the access injunction work in the team.
Catherine has extensive experience in dealing with contempt of court proceedings for breach of Injunctions or breach of undertaking. Catherine regularly prepares and advises on complex possession cases including advising on the Public Sector Equality Duty in cases involving mental health issues, hoarding cases and cases where tenant’s lack litigation capacity. She provides specialist in-house training for clients, and hosts legal surgeries.
Catherine has expertise in advising Registered Providers in both England and in Wales under the Renting Homes (Wales) 2016 Act.
Notable Cases
- Acting for a client in obtaining a Youth Injunction against a 15 year old who had caused injury to a housing officer on a visit.
- Obtained a group injunction against ‘persons unknown’ who were rough sleeping in communal areas of flats.
- Securing a possession order against a person with complex disabilities and capacity issues.
- Securing an injunction against a person with a hoarding disorder to resolve hoarding issues at a property.
- Dealing with complex possession cases where tenant’s lack litigation capacity, have raised Equality Act defences, and are represented by the Official Solicitor.
Admitted as a Solicitor
March 2019
Qualifications
- BA English Language, Cardiff University - 2013
- GDL, University of Law Guildford - 2014
- LPC - 2018