Vilma Vodanovic

EXPERTISE
Business & Property
Vilma regularly appears in the Business and Property Courts in the North East dealing with the following:

• contractual disputes
• business tenancies
• landlord and tenant (commercial and residential)
• covenants and easements
• rights of way
• boundary disputes
• nuisance
• trespass
• real property matters

Housing
Vilma is a recognised specialist in Housing Law in the North East and across the North, with a client base that includes most major housing associations and local authorities. She also acts for tenants and private landlords in housing related matters.

Vilma’s housing practice is varied including:

• possession claims
• Anti-Social Behaviour injunctions against both adults and minors
• Closure Orders
• succession claims
• right to buy
• homelessness
• allocation
• unlawful eviction
• disrepair
• tenancy fraud
• assignment
• committals

In relation to possession claims, Vilma has a particular specialism in cases involving discrimination under the Equality Act 2010, public law defences (including human rights) and capacity issues.

In addition to this, Vilma has extensive experience in dealing with matters in the First-Tier Tribunal in relation to appeals against Civil Penalty Notices, Improvement and Prohibition Notices, and other enforcement measures under the Housing Act 2004 and the Housing and Planning Act 2016. She also deals with claims arising out of the Land Compensation Act 1973.

Where housing matters give rise to judicial review challenges or appeals to the Administrative Court, Vilma has been able to provide her clients with representation in these areas too.
APPOINTMENTS

• 2021 - appointed as a Deputy District Judge on the North Eastern Circuit.
• 2019 - appointed to the First-Tier Tribunal as a Fee-paid Tribunal Judge, deployed to the Social Entitlement Chamber.

LECTURES & SEMINARS
Vilma regularly lectures to solicitors and other professionals on all aspects of her practise areas. She provides, on request, tailored in-house seminars. Most recently, she provided a local authority team with bespoke training on the First-Tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) hearing of appeals concerning Improvement Notices and Civil Penalty Notices.
EDUCATION & AWARDS

• University of Leeds LLB Law
• Mars-Jones Award, Gray’s Inn
• Start Cunningham Macaskie KC Award, Gray’s Inn
• Prince of Wales Scholarship, Gray’s Inn

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Vilma is Direct Access registered and happy to accept instructions from the public.

Called 2002