Rich family at war with aristocrat in eviction row over 20 animal pets and mould
An aristocrat accused of moving 20 animals - including pigs - into her rented period home could be evicted as she takes on her wealthy landlords.
Lady Patricia Ramshaw is embroiled in a bitter eviction row with landowner family the Cators, over a stunning Norfolk home.
Landlords the Cators claimed their 54-year-old aristocratic tenant breached her contract, with accusations ranging from painting the walls the wrong colour to subletting through AirBnB.
The bitter row culminated in Lady Ramshaw taking the Cators to a tribunal, in which she alleged the family "spied" on her from a church tower and let the house fester.
Lady Ramshaw is contesting the eviction, taking landlord Sam Cator, 30, to tribunal, after she was sent marching orders in January last year.
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The Cators claim Lady Ramshaw brought 20 animals with her to the house - but she claims they let the house with no proper heating, leading to damp problems (Newsquest / SWNS)The Cators said she brought 20 animals - including Great Danes, sheep and pigs - to live with her at the 300-year-old home, leading to a "destroyed" garden.
Lady Ramshaw meanwhile is claiming back rent and £13,000 in utility bills, saying the property - known as 'one of the finest on the Norfolk Broads' - lacked central heating and had no current electricity certificate, and as a result became riddled with damp and mould.
Lady Ramshaw says the house is riddled with damp and mould (Newsquest / SWNS)She also accused the Cators of spying and "harassment" by turning up at the property over 20 times, claiming Mr Cator's mother Jane Cator - a deputy lieutenant of Norfolk, was spying on her from a nearby church tower.
The Cators have been trying to evict Lady Ramshaw for over a year after she moved in with her pets.
In a tribunal heard this week by judge Stephen Evans, Mrs Cator told Lady Ramshaw: "Your pigs absolutely destroyed the gardens."
The period home is thought to be one of the finest in the Norfolk Broads (Newsquest / SWNS)They added that was the main reason for the eviction notice, "because of the damage her animals were doing to the property".
The family, who own farmland across East Anglia, want Lady Ramshaw out after she brought animals in "huge proportions", taking over the property and ruining the land.
She arrived with four dogs - three Great Danes - two horses, two pigs, a goat, several ducks and hens, and a flock of sheep.
The Cator estate said Lady Ramshaw had permission to move in two dogs and a handful of sheep, on the condition that animals would not enter the property's arboretum.
They also accused her of subletting the property on AirBnB and painting the walls iron grey.
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The Cators also accuse her of painting the walls without permission (Newsquest / SWNS)They served her an eviction notice in January 2022 and had originally settled on an agreement to reimburse Lady Ramshaw.
Sam Cator, the landlord, admitted the terms of the agreement then changed.
Lady Ramshaw, who paid 12 months' rent upfront when moving into the house on Ranworth Broad in November 2021, told Mrs Cator in the hearing: "You write that you were on top of the church tower and that you saw me.
"How do you think that came across?"
Mrs Cator replied: "I did not say I saw you, I say I saw a very large pig in front of the house."
The aristocrat has rented the home for over a year (Newsquest / SWNS)Mrs Cator said she visited the church tower to remember loved ones.
James Castle, representing the Cators, said: "The claimant believes all of this has been part of a grand conspiracy to force her to leave.
"But that is not at all consistent with her evidence. Lady Ramshaw has zero respect for the property and zero respect for the world around her."
Tribunal judge Stephen Evans said a written decision would be issued in the next four weeks.
He said: "This is not going to be the kind of case where both parties come out shining in glory."
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