A petition has been launched in Ripon to save four young children and their parents from eviction.
Linsey Reeves and her husband were served a no fault eviction notice just days before they ended.
Section 21 Evictions, which was where a landlord did not have to provide a reason for their actions, were outlawed under the new Renters’ Rights Act from May 1st 2026.
Their 3 bed flat is managed by Holy Trinity Properties Trust, which funds the religious work of the Holy Trinity Church opposite the flat. It’s an independent organisation and it’s not run by church officers.
The trust has said it was acting on the advice of the letting agents, Linley and Simpson in Ripon.
Linsey Reeves said she doesn’t know why her family were being evicted, but they had raised various issues with the maintenance of the Victorian property, including repeatedly asking for windows to be repaired.
The Property Ombudsman had also found in the family’s favour over an issue with the letting agency in May 2025.
The family have been told to leave by the 1st July, when their notice period ends. But as there is nowhere to go, housing officers at the council have said they should stay put and let the trust take legal action to get a court order to evict them .
John Richmond, a Freeman of the City, former mayor and recipient of the British Empire Medal for services to the community in the Queen’s 2021 New Year’s Honours, is behind the petition.
He hopes it will lead to pressure on the church (which is not directly involved) and the trust to think again.
He said: “I couldn’t believe my ears when I heard that a charity called Holy Trinity Properties Trust, whose activities are listed as ’furthering the religious and other charitable work of Holy Trinity Church’ is going to make a family of six with four children, the oldest of whom is autistic, homeless with a so-called ‘no fault’ eviction notice.
“As it was clearly an urgent matter requiring swift action, I raised it at the annual parish meeting held in Ripon Town Hall on the evening of May 20th as I hoped that newly-elected mayor Andrew Williams and fellow councillors could help this family in their hour of need.”
Cllr Williams is trying to set up a meeting with the trust chair but so far has been unable to arrange that.
John Richmond continued: “While their (the trust) actions may be lawful, In my view they most certainly are not moral and, through the petition that I have raised, on Change UK , as a Christian, I am asking people of all religions and none, to call on those involved with Holy Trinity Church and the wider Ripon community that the church serves, to show courage and demand an immediate withdrawal of the notice.
“It’s time for worshippers at Holy Trinity Church, from the vicar in his pulpit to parishioners in their pews, to start seeing the light once more and begin listening to the word of God and what their consciences must also be telling them.
“I implore worshippers to do all they can to ensure that Holy Trinity, with its so far exemplary track record of charitable giving and help for the oppressed, does not become tarnished by this unwarranted eviction of a young family who currently face the impossible task of finding a home new.”
Linsey Reeves told YorkMix Radio: “We’re looking on the private rental market, and also for emergency temporary accommodation through the council.
“Obviously, there’s been an exodus of landlords, so there’s just nothing available, and rents are sky high. On the council side, they’ve put us on a waiting list for a homeless hostel, because there isn’t anywhere for us to go.
“We’re not being picky. We want a safe, secure home for our children. So, the advice from the housing officers is to stay put, and they will have to go down a legal route to get a court order for eviction.
“I was born in Ripon. I was christened at Holy Trinity Church, my parents and family live here. Our children are at the local school, they’re regularly in the church just over the road for assemblies and things like that, so it’s a real shock that, given our connection and the Christian values that the trustees, we imagined, would uphold, that this is the situation we find ourselves in.
“You have to keep going when you’ve got children. We’re trying to do what we can to keep everything as normal as possible for them. As for our autistic son, well we haven’t been able to tell him the news, because it will devastate him and be really damaging to his mental health.
“Obviously, our youngest is two, so he’s unaware at the moment, but our two daughters, well it’s really hit them hard. I can’t give them any answers”
Linsey will be telling David Dunning more about the pressure they are under on this weeks Sunday Late Show on YorkMix Radio at 10pm (Sunday 14 June)
You can read more about this story at this link to the petition.
YorkMix Radio has offered Robert Thew, chair of Holy Trinity Properties Trust, which owns the apartment block, a chance to put their side of the story but he didn’t want to be interviewed at this stage. He said: decisions about individual tenancies are taken acting on the advice of the letting agents Linley and Simpson.
Linley and Simpson does not comment on individual tenancies.
