The claimant firm hit with a wasted costs order over its handling of a housing disrepair has insisted the client still had the outcome they wanted.

The Gazette reported last week that York County Court had taken the unusual step of asking the firm leading the unsuccessful claim to justify why it should not pay the costs, rather than the client.

It has now emerged that the order was made against Liverpool firm First Legal Solicitors following summary judgment in favour of the defendant, City of York Council.

In total, District Judge Mark said the firm should pay the full £9,414 costs unless it could show otherwise. It is understood the firm did indeed cover the costs bill.

Jennifer Shaw, director of First Legal, told the Gazette the outcome of the case was positive even if adverse findings were made. ‘The good news in this instance is that our client, like most of our other clients, has been successful in securing the required repairs to their property to bring it up to a safe and habitable standard,’ said Shaw. ‘This is a basic human right and the council’s refusal to meet their obligations in this regard and to force clients to resort to litigation is disappointing at best.

‘For context, this client instructed us that they first started reporting the issues in their property to their landlord before the first Covid lockdown, and only through our assistance since 2023 was she able to hold them to account for their responsibilities.’

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Shaw said that the firm took its duty to clients very seriously, as evidenced by its high rating on the feedback website Review Solicitors. ‘In terms of our processes, we are always looking to make improvements and whilst we aim to assist as many people as possible, we only pursue claims which we are confident are genuine and this is borne out by our very high success rate in securing a positive outcome,’ she added.

The Gazette reported last summer that Shaw, a former director of collapsed firm Pure Legal, had become the sole director of First Legal, established in 2016 and specialising in housing disrepair claims, tenancy deposit claims and stamp duty land tax refunds.

The most recent accounts then available showed that amounts owed to creditors increased from £168,000 to almost £900,000 in 2022/23.

The firm has grown significantly since that point: according to the accounts for the year ending April 2024, the value of the firm’s work rose from £1.2m to more than £4m. Meanwhile, the amount owed within a year increased from £900,000 to around £3.8m. Net assets increased from £60,573 to more than £673,000. As of April 2024, the firm employed a total of 11 people.

 

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