Petition urges rethink of family's no-fault eviction

A petition calling for the reversal of a no-fault eviction served on a family two days before a government ban on the practice has gathered more than 33,000 signatures.

Mother-of-four Linsey Reeves and her husband were told to leave their flat in Ripon by 1 July but said they currently had "nowhere to go".

The family were served a Section 21 eviction by the Holy Trinity Properties Trust - a type of notice that does not require a landlord to give a reason - but such evictions were outlawed under the new Renters' Rights Act from 1 May.

The trust previously said it acted on advice from its letting agent Linley and Simpson, while the agency said it acted under instruction from its clients.

Profits from the property trust go to support the work of Holy Trinity Church in Ripon.

This falls under the Church of England's Diocese of Leeds, which said the trust was an independent organisation and not run by church officers.

Reeves said the family had lived in the three-bedroom apartment for four years and cared for it throughout their tenancy.

She said the eviction had created "instability" for the couple and their children who were aged between two and 14.

"It's heartbreaking. Your home is your safe space, and when that's taken away from you, you don't know what direction to go it," she said.

"We're not sure if we should be packing up boxes now - but we have nowhere to go."

Reeves said they had been looking for suitable accommodation but there was nothing affordable and she was uncertain what would happen when their notice period ended at the start of next month.

She added: "We're just stuck at the moment and in limbo."

The petition, set up by the former mayor of Ripon and retired Methodist minister John Richmond, calls on the trust to change its mind.

He said: "They've done nothing wrong. It's more than unfair, it's wrong."

He said he hoped the campaigning would convince the trust and letting agent "to have a change of heart".

Responding to the community support, Reeves described it as "incredible and really overwhelming".

She added: "We can't thank people enough, we're truly grateful from the bottom of our hearts.

"It really does mean the world to us."

In a previous statement, Robert Thew, chair of the trust, said: "Decisions about individual tenancies are taken by the Holy Trinity Properties Trust acting on the advice of our letting agents Linley and Simpson."

In their previous response, Linley and Simpson said it did not comment on individual tenancies.

"As the managing letting agent, our role is to act on behalf of our landlord clients and, upon instruction, ensure legal notices are served in line with the relevant requirements."

The BBC has contacted both organisations for a fresh comment.

Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.