Family 'relieved' after eviction threat dropped

Andy Johnson and his wife Ithalia were hit with a "no-fault" eviction notice

A family living on one of Liverpool's most famous streets have spoken of their relief after plans to evict them from their home were dropped.

Andy Johnson was served with a no-fault eviction notice earlier this year which could have forced him, his wife and their six-year-old son out of their Voelas Road house in Toxteth's Welsh Streets within days.

"It's been a year of uncertainty and this result has come as a massive relief," said the 43-year-old. "We love living here and there's a real community that has been built."

Housing management company Placefirst said it had "voluntarily settled" with Mr Johnson and had agreed to compensate them for "the mistake and the inconvenience" caused.

Mr Johnson and his wife Ithalia, 46, moved into their terraced house six years ago.

Two months ago, the family received an email from Placefirst, notifying them that they were being given a "no-fault" eviction notice.

Mr Johnson said that while they had fallen behind with their rent during the pandemic, they had paid their £2,500 arrears off in full earlier this year.

Despite Mr Johnson's pleas, however, the company refused to revoke the eviction notice.

As a result, they faced a showdown in court last week.

Ahead of the hearing, though, an agreement was reached between them.

The no-fault eviction notice was deemed invalid due to "an administrative error" that had been made in 2017.

PlaceFirst said: "Since serving notice, the resident has taken positive steps to clear the arrears, and has demonstrated a consistent commitment to meeting their rent obligations going forward."

Beatles attraction

Mr Johnson told the Local Democracy Reporting Service the settlement was "really good news".

"It shows what you can do when you stand up for yourself," he said.

The Welsh Streets in Toxteth are one of the few remaining "original" tourist attractions for Beatles fans in Liverpool.

They include the birthplace of Fab Four drummer Ringo Starr, who grew up in Madryn Street, which is three streets away from Voelas Road.

Ringo's former home and hundreds of others in the area were built by Welsh workers in the late 19th Century.

The properties were facing demolition eight years ago before members of the local community rallied to save them.

Andy's late father Chris, a well-known journalist in Liverpool, was among their vocal supporters.