Latest news with #VanessaGibson
Daily Mail
16-07-2025
- Daily Mail
England cricket legend's son wins £159,000 damages from neighbour after she 'blackmailed' him and ruined the sale of his £3.85m home
A son of England cricket legend Colin Cowdrey has won £159,000 damages from a neighbour after she 'blackmailed' him and ruined the sale of his £3.85milllion home. Film producer Jeremy Cowdrey, whose late father skippered England 27 times and was the first man to play 100 test matches, sued neighbour Vanessa Gibson over 'lies' which he said made his sprawling 10-acre mansion in Goudhurst, Kent, unsellable. The dispute began with Mrs Gibson's purchase of a strip of land in the village, which bizarrely meant she owned part of Mr Cowdrey's tennis court. A row about that was settled outside of court, but when he tried to sell the house, Mrs Gibson sent a 'clusterbomb' of emails - including bringing up the resolved tennis court row - jeopardising his sale. After buyers pulled out, he sued, accusing her of 'terrorising' him with a campaign of harassment akin to 'Japanese water torture', and has now won a £159,000 payout at Central London County Court. Judge Jane Evans-Gordon said Mrs Gibson's 'intention' through her 'unreasonable and oppressive' campaign had been to try to extract 'unreasonable sums' from Mr Cowdrey, 65, so that his sale could go through. 'I am satisfied that Mrs Gibson's conduct went well beyond any proper promotion of her own interests and tipped over into a form of blackmail or maliciousness,' she said. The court heard that Mrs Gibson, a former futures trader, has lived in the area for many years, but that Mr Cowdrey moved in after buying Crowbourne Farm in early 2022. It is made up of a sprawling Grade II-listed farmhouse with its own wine cellar, a separate guest cottage, studio, barn and workshop, a quadruple car port and set over 10 acres of grounds, including a tennis court, stables, woods and two lakes. Mr Cowdrey told the judge he had been warned about the potential for trouble with his neighbour, who lives in a next door barn conversion, before he bought it. However, the pair initially had a good 'neighbourly' relationship, with Mrs Gibson helping the cricketer's son feed his ducks. He said he thought he could get over any problems, but that within a couple of months he realised the property was 'not right' for him and decided to sell. Viewings were arranged and buyers were found, with a sale price of £3.85m agreed, but the purchasers pulled out after a string of emails sent by Mrs Gibson. The emails suggested that the dispute over the tennis court was still ongoing, when in fact it had been settled when he agreed to fence it off and give up any claim to the strip she had bought. She had also emailed him, his lawyer and estate agent with allegations relating to his right to run water, electricity, sewage and phone services across her land, and brought up issues of flooding in the area, suggesting it may be down to work done by the previous owners on Mr Cowdrey's land. Suing for malicious falsehood and harassment, Mr Cowdrey told Judge Jane Evans-Gordon that Mrs Gibson had 'terrorised' him and likened her constant 'clusterbomb' of complaints as akin to water torture. 'I likened it to the Japanese drip of water because it was like that,' he said. 'We are on the third anniversary of this. It's been a really horrendous experience.' Mrs Gibson, 55, representing herself, denied Mr Cowdrey's claims and said she only raised legitimate issues about the property and that it was in fact Mr Cowdrey who behaved in an 'ungentlemanly' way. But finding for Mr Cowdrey, the judge said the boundary dispute had been settled and that Mrs Gibson had tried to 'conceal her interfere with Mr Cowdrey's sale.' Her allegations that there were 'ongoing disputes' in relation to the tennis court, utility services and breaches of land covenants were 'false,' she continued. 'Standing back and looking at Ms Gibson's conduct from about March 2022 through to June 2023, it seems to me that her actions were motivated by an improper purpose, namely to cause harm, specifically pecuniary loss, to Mr Cowdrey by preventing him from selling Crowbourne Farm unless he paid her any price she sought,' she said. 'I am satisfied that Ms Gibson concealed her purchase of the strip from Mr Cowdrey until she could use her ownership to extract significant payment from him. 'Ms Gibson was, of course, entitled to forward her own interests which can include benefitting financially from her land and the covenants benefitting that land. 'But there comes a point where proper motivation tips over into an improper purpose and, in my judgment, that point was reached in this case. 'Nothing she said persuaded me that she had no ill intent towards Mr Cowdrey, notwithstanding her repeated assertions that she was only being neighbourly and concerned to look after his best interests.' At trial, Mr Cowdrey said his house would now be worth £3.7m absent Mrs Gibson's allegations and so sued for the £150,000 difference between that and the £3.85m sale he agreed. Agreeing, the judge said: 'In my judgment, the sum of £150,000, together with interest, is the correct measure of damages.' The judge also awarded an additional £9,000 damages for the 'oppressive and unreasonable' campaign of harassment. 'Any reasonable person, in my view, would see this as unreasonable and likely to cause anxiety, alarm or distress,' she said. 'On this basis, Ms Gibson ought to have known that her conduct would have that effect. She had no proper basis for raising most of the issues that she did raise. 'The consequence of this is that Mr Cowdrey lost a sale; however, he cannot recover that loss twice. He is also entitled to damages for the anxiety and distress caused to him by this conduct. I am satisfied that Mr Cowdrey has suffered such anxiety and distress. 'It seems to me that an appropriate award is £9,000.' Jeremy Cowdrey is the second son of Colin, Lord Cowdrey, who was the first cricketer to play 100 Tests and was the first to be made a peer for his services to the game. Lord Cowdrey was an outstanding batsman, famed for his style and nonchalance both on and off the field, with one commentator saying he seemed to 'charm rather than strike the ball' and a fellow England player labelling him an 'unbridled genius'. His second son, Jeremy, worked as a City stockbroker for 20 years, later switching to working as a film producer and helping create the movie 'Summer in February' in 2013, starring Dan Stevens of Downton Abbey fame. Lord Cowdrey's two other sons, Chris and Graham, went on to play cricket for Kent and Chris also saw six Tests for England. He also had a daughter, Carolyn.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Bronx Week 2025 kicks off
THE BRONX, N.Y. (PIX11) – Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson kicks off Bronx Week 2025 on PIX11 Morning News. To find out more about Bronx Week, click here. Watch the video player for the full interview. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
NYCHA development receives donation to enhance safety and security
NEW YORK (PIX11)—To the 91 tenants who live here and constantly need help, she's known as Ms. Elise. Now, thanks to her persistence and the generosity of Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson, a NYCHA development has received a substantial donation to make a significant difference. PIX11 has been to the Claremont consolidated before, where 74-year-old Elise Deans is usually busy helping people. More Local News She has 294,000 reasons to smile: a big check from Bronx borough president Vanessa Gibson's office for her development, a blown-up version of which is proudly posted on the wall of her tenant association office. Deans' development is finally getting eight new security cameras. She is living proof that one person can make a difference. 'Safety and security are of the utmost importance to our mission of providing quality housing to NYCHA residents,' said NYCHA Chief Executive Officer Lisa Bova-Hiatt. 'We are truly grateful to Bronx Borough President Gibson for marshalling the resources needed to make these important security upgrades and for her ongoing dedication and advocacy for all of the NYCHA residents who call the Bronx home.' Next, PIX11's Monica Morales met the fantastic volunteers who are the heart and soul of a nonprofit called Bottomless Closet. You never know who is watching. Playwright Timberly Robinson was watching and offered the nonprofit 20 tickets to the opening of her new stage play, '4 Daughters Minus One, 2000, A.D.' Remember to watch Monica Morales' new podcast, Episode No.12, with music star and mogul Misty Blanco. Blanco helped me interview Ty Lawson, a Columbia professor who is helping develop the next generation of great journalists. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Public safety expansion in the Bronx
BRONX, N.Y. (PIX11) – Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson shares some highlights from her recent State of the Borough speech, especially her investment into public safety with added surveillance cameras and an NYPD Mobile Command Unit. She also discusses the Bronx casino battle and the upcoming closure of yet another Catholic School in the Bronx and issues a reminder for submissions to the People's Choice Awards for Bronx Week. To nominate someone, click here. Watch the video player for the full interview. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Massive blue city migrant shelter opens despite residents' furious opposition
A massive 2,200 male-only migrant shelter has opened in the Bronx despite residents venting their opposition to the move and as the city announces the closures of other migrant shelters throughout New York City, including the Roosevelt Hotel in Manhattan. The new facility, a 275,000-square-foot former warehouse, began accepting migrants on Saturday, a spokesperson for the mayor's office told Fox News Digital. The opening of the facility, located at 825 E. 141st St., and the prospect of such a large influx of migrant men being housed in the community sparked furious scenes at a Bronx community board meeting last month where residents also said that they were never consulted on the decision. New York To Open Massive New 2,200-Bed Migrant Shelter For Single Men In The Bronx "I have young women who come to me to study. I have never been afraid in the South Bronx, I am now terrified," Judy Kudlow, an artist who said she operates an art school directly across from the building said. "I'm terrified for me, for my students. I will have to move… You have made a terrible mistake." Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson, a Democrat, also blasted the city for greenlighting the project before the community could discuss it. She wanted the site repurposed into a manufacturing facility to create more than 2,000 jobs. Read On The Fox News App One community board member said that residents felt like their community was being treated as "a dumping ground" for migrants, as did Democratic Congressman Ritchie Torres. Several protests have also taken place outside the facility in last-ditch attempts to prevent it from opening, but they appear to have been in vain. Fox News Digital reached out to the mayor's office for confirmation of the shelter's opening but did not receive a response prior to publication. Many of the migrants will be transferred to the Bronx shelter from the sprawling migrant tent shelter on Randalls Island, according to the New York Post, citing city records. The opening of the Bronx shelter comes as Adams' office said Monday that there are currently fewer than 45,000 migrants in the city's care, down from a high of 69,000 in January 2024. New York City taxpayers have forked out billions of dollars to pay for housing for more than 232,000 who have arrived in New York City seeking city services since the spring of 2022. Mayor Eric Adams Says Nyc's Roosevelt Hotel Migrant Shelter Will Soon Close Adams also announced on Monday that the massive Roosevelt Hotel migrant shelter in Manhattan will shut down in the next few months, "saving taxpayers millions of dollars." A New York Post source told the outlet that the closure is expected to happen by June. The Roosevelt Hotel, which has around 1,000 rooms, has processed more than 173,000 migrants since its opening in May 2023 and has become a focal point of the city's migrant crisis over the last two years, since it was the first stop for many border crossers. "Thanks to the sound policy decisions of our team, we are able to announce the closure of this site and help even more asylum seekers take the next steps in their journeys as they envision an even brighter future, while simultaneously saving taxpayers millions of dollars," Adams said. Meanwhile, the Bronx facility was renovated in 2017 and is currently owned by SoBro Local Development Corporation, a nonprofit organization whose stated mission is to "enhance the quality of life in the South Bronx by strengthening businesses and creating and implementing innovative economic, housing, educational, and career development programs for youth and adults." The non-profit's website states that it manages more than 450 affordable and special-needs housing units in the Bronx and Harlem. Click To Get The Fox News App Diana Ayala, a Democratic councilwoman who represents parts of the Bronx and Manhattan, including where the shelter is set to open, said at last month's community board meeting that she recommended the new Bruckner Boulevard site, as well as other locations in the Bronx. She said the migrants have a right to shelter and the city is legally obligated to house the migrants. "They can't leave them out on the street, they can't let them sleep on the street, unless they want to. They have to put them somewhere," said Ayala, who praised the Adams administration's handling of the crisis. Fox News' Greg Norman contributed to this report. Original article source: Massive blue city migrant shelter opens despite residents' furious opposition
