Cripps Harries Hall

Carol Wakeford is recognised as a leader in the field of property litigation and has practised at partner level for more than 20 years. She has in depth experience in all forms of property dispute with particular expertise in resolution of commercial landlord and tenant disputes and compulsory purchase claims linked to the acquisition of land for major rail link projects.

Expertise

• Disputes (property)
• Compulsory purchase
• Lands tribunals
• Property portfolio management
• Landlord and tenant (disputes)
• Leases (disputes)
• Rent review (disputes)
• Insolvency (property)

Memberships

• Association of Business Recovery Professionals
• Association of Women in Property
• Property Litigation Association

Career

• Partner, Cripps Harries Hall LLP, 1996
• Partner, Nabarro Nathanson, 1990
• Solicitor, Nabarro Nathanson, 1985
• Trainee Solicitor, Nabarro Nathanson, 1983

• Successfully securing a decision by the Lands Chamber (Upper Tribunal) in excess of 300 compensation claims that a nominal sum of £50 is the price for a tube of subsoil required to construct rail link tunnels under London. These decisions have now set an important precedent for the cpo world to follow in future major rail link infrastructure projects
• Handling a number of significant overland compensation claims valued at in excess of £1 million. The issues arising included claims for lost development and business profit, the interpretation of voluntary acquisition agreements outside the compulsory purchase code, the legal status of compensatable interests as well as the identity of claimants entitled to compensation
• Taken discreet legal issues as far as the Court of Appeal (Kent County Council v The Secretary of State for Transport) creating new law and reinforcing existing law relating to compulsory purchase. Other reported cases where we have acted for the Secretary of State for Transport are Christos v The Secretary of State for Transport, Prielipp and Kennerley v The Secretary of State for Transport and Toms v The Secretary of State for Transport
• Successfully handling time critical injunctive proceedings to gain entry to buildings close to a rail link construction site in the City of London, to carry out works to strengthen and support the buildings against the impact of the rail link construction works. Access was gained pursuant to statutory powers afforded to major rail projects but which are rarely applied in practice
• Developing innovative solutions and cases management systems with the Land Registry to secure effective registration of very diverse titles for land and interests required for transport projects, and with the Lands Chamber to progress to a resolution large numbers of compensation claims where claimants were either untraceable or reluctant to participate