A firm of solicitors has been ordered to pay thousands of pounds in costs after losing a court case against Ashfield District Council.

The authority took legal action against Bingham Long, of Liverpool, after the firm encouraged a Council tenant to put in a claim for housing repairs it said needed doing.

A judge at Mansfield County Court dismissed the case and awarded £700 legal costs to Ashfield District Council, but the authority said defending it had cost thousands.

The Council argued the claim was baseless and improperly instigated, stating access to the property was repeatedly refused and involved a cold caller linked to the solicitors.

Now, a district judge has agreed and ordered Bingham Long to pay the Council £10,950 in costs within 21 days to cover both the original claim and the wasted costs application.

Cllr Andy Meakin, Ashfield District Council’s Executive Lead for Social Housing and Assets, said:

“These cold callers can be very convincing and are taking advantage of our tenants. They are not always aware of what they are signing or warned that the case could end up going to court.

We will not stand by and let these people get away with this. We will fight this in court when we need to and this just shows that. We would also like to remind our tenants that Council officers will always carry ID with them and do not show up unannounced.”

Charlie Edwards, the Council’s Executive Director of Operations, said:

“This case highlights the importance of tenants engaging directly with our teams when they have concerns about their property.

We are committed to resolving genuine issues quickly and professionally, and we encourage tenants to contact us directly rather than through third parties who may not have their best interests at heart.”

Posted on 30 September 2025