Nyree Applegarth
Partner and Head of Property Litigation
"I am a property law problem solver, who has dealt with difficult property issues for over 22 years”
I lead the eight strong property disputes team at Higgs, and have been with Higgs since I established the team in January 2009. Prior to joining Higgs, I worked at Wragge & Co, and trained at what was then Martineau Johnson.
I have been advising on property disputes, residential and commercial for over twenty two years. My practice includes advising on landlord and tenant lease renewals, rent review issues, service charge disputes and the service of and validity of break notices.
I have also built up a specialism of advising on residential tenancy issues, which includes noise and nuisance issues, termination of tenancies, deposit disputes and unlawful eviction claims.
Over the last decade I have also represented many clients in boundary disputes and neighbour disputes, adverse possession claims (squatters’ rights) and enforcing and removing restrictive covenants to allow an alternative use or development.
I am planning on training as a mediator and have participated in numerous mediations throughout the course of my career.
I have been a member of the Property Litigation Association Law Reform Committee since 2017 and regularly get involved in responding to Government law reform consultations on behalf of the Committee.
I also head up Higgs Green Committee and am responsible for ensuring our business operates as sustainably as possible, and limits our carbon footprint and impact on the environment.
I have appeared on BBC Radio 4’s Money Box Live in July 2023, talking about the Renters Reform bill.
- Succeeding in a claim, which ran for over 3 years for a prescriptive easement over a foreshore, which meant the client could continue to moor their boat outside their Devon home
- Preventing residential neighbours from being able to let their property out as a holiday home and successfully enforcing a private home only, covenant in the client’s’ favour
- Successfully representing a client in a proprietary estoppel claim which meant he could continue using two barns as residential properties and use an access road to reach them
- Obtaining a declaration that a commercial tenant remained liable under the terms of their lease for another 5 years after they failed to comply with the pre-conditions for ending their lease
- Defeating a trespass claim alleged by a neighbour and succeeding with an adverse possession claim in a long running boundary dispute
More about me
Favourite place
Ibiza
Proudest moment to date
Having my two children
Favourite film
Grease (who wouldn’t want to be Sandy!)
Interesting fact
I am related to 2 Doctor Who’s!