My colleague and friend Patrick Reddin, who has died aged 67 after a fall, was from the early 70s the “go to” surveyor for tenants, but also acted for social landlords, and was one of the key figures in the development of housing rights for tenants. He produced reports for tenants on works that needed to be done, and was highly respected by the courts.
Born in Highgate, north London, the son of Charles Reddin, who worked at United Artists, and his wife, Ida (nee Dalprà), who marked papers for the International Correspondence School, Pat was educated at St Michael’s Catholic grammar school, North Finchley, and Willesden College. During and after qualification as a surveyor, he worked for the Inland Revenue Valuation Office and in local government, going on to co-found the firm Reddin & Nuttall in 1972.
In 1984 he met Vincina Mellor, when he was instructed on a case of disrepair and she was a housing officer working for a housing association. They married two years later.
Pat was the author or editor of a number of works, including Dealing With Disrepair: A Guide to Inspection and Diagnosis (1996), a second edition of which – under the title Inspecting and Diagnosing Disrepair – is due out in October. He lectured internationally with a particular interest in Latin America and the Caribbean, where he exercised his great love of travel and languages. He also enjoyed driving in France, and would return laden with wine.
He was a fellow of the Chartered Association of Building Engineers, and served as its president (2001-02) and honorary secretary (2002-09); he received its distinguished service award in 2010. He was also a fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, a member of the Chartered Institute of Housing and an accredited mediator in the UK and for the Eastern Caribbean supreme court.
He taught on a master’s course at King’s College London and was an active member of the Housing Law Practitioners Association.
In 2011, Pat was diagnosed with a brain tumour. He returned to work less than a year after surgery, long before doctors predicted he would be able to. He remained much in demand as an expert witness, readily acceptable to social landlords and tenants alike.
He is survived by Vincina, four daughters, three granddaughters and two grandsons.
