Late review decisions and homeless appeals – Nearly Legal

Posted June 14th, 2018 in appeals, costs, homelessness, housing, local government, news by tracey

‘Muloko v Newham LBC, County Court at Central London 6 April 2018. This is from a note of the judgment in June 2018 Legal Action – Housing: Recent Developments. I usually wait a month or two on reporting cases from Legal Action, but I report it now as it has some considerable importance, at least in London, for decisions on what to do about late s.202 reviews.’

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Nearly Legal, 13th June 2018

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

Trafficked woman harassed when housed by council fails in damages claim – Local Government Lawyer

Posted June 14th, 2018 in damages, harassment, housing, local government, news by tracey

‘A judge has dismissed a claim brought by a woman trafficked into prostitution that a council was responsible for harassment that occurred when she was housed.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 14th June 2018

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Council rapped for delays while homeless family left in crowded conditions – Local Government Lawyer

Posted June 11th, 2018 in homelessness, housing, local government, news by sally

‘The Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman (LGO) has criticised a London borough after an investigation found that a mother and her five children were accommodated in a damp and mouldy single bedroom.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 8th June 2018

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Claimant fails in damages claim against council for housing breaches – Local Government Lawyer

Posted May 31st, 2018 in damages, housing, human rights, local government, news by sally

‘A woman left in unsuitable housing is not entitled to damages from the London Borough of Enfield, the High Court has said.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 31st May 2018

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Forthcoming law (and informed consent) – Nearly Legal

Posted May 29th, 2018 in bills, estate agents, fees, housing, landlord & tenant, news by sally

‘The Tenant Fees Bill has had its second reading. The current Bill and its progress are here. There is a lot to digest in the Bill and I suspect there will be amendments on route. There are a whole new range of civil penalties, possible offences and restrictions on service of a section 21 forthcoming.’

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Nearly Legal, 28th May 2018

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

Can the Grenfell Inquiry be a truly modern public inquiry? – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted May 23rd, 2018 in diversity, fire, health & safety, housing, human rights, inquiries, judiciary, news by tracey

‘Is there any hope that the Grenfell Inquiry will finally gain legitimacy? As with the successful McPherson Inquiry following the Stephen Lawrence murder, recognition of diversity and inclusivity are essential.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 23rd May 2018

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com

Heavy handed, inaccurate threats of legal action – Metropolitan HT harass their tenants – Nearly Legal

‘The Court of Appeal on an instance of tenancy management going bad, very bad indeed. And the landlord losing a claim against them for damages for harassment under Protection from Harassment Act 1997.’

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Nearly Legal, 20th May 2018

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

Court of Appeal on illegal eviction – quantum and heads of claim – Nearly Legal

Posted May 22nd, 2018 in appeals, housing, illegality, landlord & tenant, news, repossession by sally

‘Mrs S was the wife of Mr S, married in 2011. (Mrs S had leave to remain in the UK but no recourse to public funds, just to explain some odd bits along the way). In June 2014, Mr S took an assured shorthold tenancy of a flat from Mr K, the landlord for a 12 month term. The rent was paid from Mr S’ housing benefit.’

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Nearly Legal, 18th May 2018

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

Can the Grenfell Inquiry can be a truly modern public inquiry? – The Guardian

Posted May 22nd, 2018 in diversity, fire, health & safety, housing, inquiries, judiciary, news by sally

‘The wedding of Prince Harry to Meghan Markle and the start of the first phase of hearings in the Grenfell Inquiry occurred within hours of each other but could not have been more different in terms of how they were received by the British public.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 22nd May 2018

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com

Judge slams council for failing in duty of candour to the court – Litigation Futures

‘The High Court has slammed a London council for failing in its duty of candour and told lawyers that they have a responsibility to ensure that all those involved in local authorities are comply with their duty.’

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Litigation Futures, 10th May 2018

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Council wins High Court battle over viability and amount of affordable housing – Local Government Lawyer

Posted May 1st, 2018 in construction industry, housing, local government, news, planning by tracey

‘A Planning Court judge has ruled in favour of the London Borough of Islington in a long-running dispute over a major development which it has said will provide insufficient affordable homes.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 30th April 2018

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Bedroom Tax – the powers of the Tribunal and a sufficient chest of drawers – Nearly Legal

Posted April 16th, 2018 in benefits, housing, news by tracey

‘Two bedroom tax related decisions.’

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Nearly Legal, 15th April 2018

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

Accommodation pending Appeal – where to appeal a refusal? – Nearly Legal

Posted April 16th, 2018 in appeals, housing, interpretation, news by tracey

‘Davis v Watford Borough Council (2018) EWCA Civ 529. A technical appeal on a point of construction of Housing Act 1996 on homelessness appeals that has considerable practical importance.’

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Nearly Legal, 15th April 2018

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

Home Office accused of turning ‘blind eye to discrimination’ in housing immigration crackdown – The Independent

Posted April 9th, 2018 in housing, news, race discrimination by tracey

‘The Home Office has been accused of turning a “blind eye to discrimination” after rejecting its own inspector’s call to investigate a “racist” scheme targeting private housing tenants.’

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The Independent, 8th April 2018

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Supreme Court expedites key case on liability of social services authorities – Local Government Lawyer

‘The Supreme Court has expedited the hearing of a key case over the liability of social services authorities.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 5th April 2018

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Judges rule on meaning of ‘isolated’ homes and National Planning Policy Framework – Local Government Lawyer

Posted April 5th, 2018 in appeals, housing, local government, news, planning by sally

‘The term ‘isolated’ has its ordinary meaning in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and needs no over-interpretation, the Court of Appeal has ruled.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 5th April 2018

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

New homelessness act fails to address root causes, charities say – The Guardian

Posted April 4th, 2018 in benefits, budgets, homelessness, housing, legislation, local government, news by sally

‘Spiralling rents, welfare reforms and council funding cuts will undermine the impact of the most significant new homelessness legislation for 40 years, charities have said.’

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The Guardian, 3rd April 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

The costs of dangerous cladding – leaseholders position – Nearly Legal

Posted March 27th, 2018 in costs, health & safety, housing, landlord & tenant, news, repairs, service charges by tracey

‘First Tier Tribunal LON/00AH/LSC/2017/0435 – Firstport Property Services Ltd v various leaseholders of Citiscape. We previously saw the Salford decision on the costs of a ‘waking watch’ in a tower with ‘Grenfell’ style cladding, but this was the first, keenly awaited, decision on the liability of leaseholders of an affected building (here in Croydon) to pay for the costs of removal and replacement of such cladding under their leases.’

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Nerarly Legal, 26th March 2018

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

Home Office subcontractors force asylum seekers to share bedrooms in breach of council policy – The Independent

Posted March 23rd, 2018 in asylum, contracting out, housing, news by tracey

‘A company subcontracted by the Home Office to run housing for asylum seekers is continuing to force residents to share bedrooms despite the local council banning the practice.
Newcastle City Council banned forced bedroom sharing, which sees unrelated asylum-seeking adults forced to share bedrooms with one another, in March 2017 following widespread public outcry.’

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The Independent, 23rd March 2018

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Grenfell Tower inquiry to open with tributes to 71 victims of blaze – The Guardian

Posted March 22nd, 2018 in fire, health & safety, housing, inquiries, news, victims by sally

‘The public inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire will open with individual portraits of and tributes to the 71 victims of the blaze, it has been revealed.’

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The Guardian, 21st March 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com