Louisa Watt's lawyer faces losing house over eviction case bill

The solicitor who fought to stop a 106-year-old woman from being evicted from her Wolverhampton care home says she fears she may lose her own home after being landed with a £24,000 legal bill for the case.

Yvonne Hossack led the campaign through the courts to stop Louisa Watts being evicted from Underhill House in Bushbury.

But in October last year Appeal Court judges rejected the campaigning solicitor's bid to seek a judicial review into Wolverhampton City Council's decision to close the care home.

They also lifted an injunction which had, until then, barred the council from throwing residents out.

Louisa was evicted in January this year and moved to The Sycamores Home in Wolverhampton before again to Bentley Court in Wednesfield to be closer to her family. She died last month aged 107.

Miss Hossack says she had two injunction applications relating to the case going through the court system at the same time.

But she says she was unaware of the need to formally request to have one of the applications dismissed.

She failed to make the application and so the Court of Appeal dismissed the action with costs, payable by Miss Hossack, totalling £24,610.99. The solicitor claims she did not receive the request from the court and now fears she could lose her home in Kettering which she has owned for 16 years.

She claims the first she heard of the legal bill was when she received a letter from Wolverhampton City Council over the summer.

"I have no money coming in and won't get other money we are owed. The house is the only asset I have," she said.

Wolverhampton City Council spokesman Paul Brown said: "The council is seeking to claim costs of £24,610 in accordance with orders of the court which were obtained during due legal process.

"The council has not and will not pursue the family of Louisa Watts for any costs."

The Underhill House site may be turned into a doctor's surgery under plans being considered by council chiefs.

By Helen Cartwright