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David Ward MP <>
Incommunities tenant told to "get real and get on with his life"
July 8, 2010 10:00 AM
David has questioned a system that allowed Mr Hussain to rack up a £60,000 legal aid bill
Bradford East MP David Ward has told a constituent that ran up a £60,000 legal aid bill trying to stay in a house that is too big for him to "get real and get on with his life".
As reported in the Telegraph and Argus, the constituent has fought social landlord Incommunities for three years in the courts to remain in the three bedroom-house in West Bowling. During that time he has not paid any rent. Mr. Hussain had initially moved into the house alongside his wife and children, but his marriage broke up and the joint-tenancy he had with his wife was legally ended at her request, leaving him no legal right to stay in the house after she and the children moved out.
Since losing his case at an initial County Court hearing, he has lost subsequent appeals before a Circuit Judge and at the Court of Appeal, and lost a bid to have it heard by the country's most senior law lords at the Supreme Court in London.
David said: "I see a lot more needy cases coming through my surgery door.
There are people who are overcrowded, who desperately need homes like his. He's going to get very little sympathy. He needs to get real and get on with his life for his own sake and for the sake of the public purse.
Something is wrong with a system that allows such a huge amount of public money to be spent on a case that has not succeeded. At some point in the process it must have been evident it was not going to succeed.
Mr Hussain needs to be a bit more honest with himself and the legal aid system needs to be more rigorous.
It's cost a phenomenal amount of money."