Category: housing

Discretionary Housing Payments and long term awards – Nearly Legal

Posted March 17th, 2017 in benefits, disabled persons, housing, judicial review, news by sally

‘R (on the application of Halvai) v Hammersmith and Fulham LBC (2017) QBD (Admin) (Sara Cockerill QC) 09/03/2017. This was a judicial review of H&F’s refusal of Discretionary Housing Payments to Ms H. Ms H has severe autism and learning and behavioural difficulties. She requires one-to-one care, suffered from extreme anxiety and so had vital and complex accommodation needs, including a very quiet environment.’

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Nearly Legal, 14th March 2017

Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk

World enough and time – suitability, distance and time – Nearly Legal

Posted March 13th, 2017 in appeals, children, housing, local government, London, news by sally

‘A section 204 Housing Act 1996 appeal of the suitability of LB Brent’s offer of private sector accommodation to Mr B of a property in Birmingham. Mr B, his wife and three daughters were in temporary accommodation in Brent, a full s.193 housing duty having been accepted by Brent. In 2014, an offer of accommodation in Birmingham was made. Mr B sought a review, which upheld suitability. A s.204 appeal was settled on the basis of a fresh review. That review decision of May 2016, again upholding suitability, was the subject of the present appeal.’

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Nearly Legal, 10th March 2017

Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk

Canals and Article 8 – again – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted March 13th, 2017 in appeals, canals, disabled persons, housing, human rights, licensing, news, proportionality by sally

‘In recent years, the Courts have come up with a pragmatic resolution to the clash of property and Article 8 rights which typically occur in housing cases. Where the tenant is trying to use Art.8 to fend off a possession order, because he is in breach of some term of the tenancy, then the Courts, here and in Strasbourg, have resolved the issue in the favour of the local authority, save in exceptional circumstances.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 10th March 2017

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

“Perverse Incentives” – Nearly Legal

Posted February 28th, 2017 in housing, human rights, landlord & tenant, local government, news by sally

‘Osman, R (on the application of) v London Borough of Harrow (2017) EWHC 274 (Admin). A challenge to Harrow’s allocation policy, specifically on the “downgrading” of allocation priority for overcrowded households in PRS accommodation, while existing Harrow tenants kept the higher priority for overcrowding on a transfer application.’

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Nearly Legal, 26th February 2017

Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk

Southwark council fined £570,000 over fatal tower block fire – The Guardian

Posted February 28th, 2017 in costs, fines, fire, health & safety, housing, local government, news by sally

‘The London fire brigade has said it hopes “lessons are learned” after a council was fined £570,000 over safety failings at a 14-storey block of flats where six people died in a fire.’

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The Guardian, 28th February 2017

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Judge rules against council over refusal to accommodate before age assessment – Local Government Lawyer

Posted February 28th, 2017 in asylum, children, housing, immigration, news, refugees by sally

‘A local authority did not have good reason for departing from statutory guidance requiring it to provide accommodation and support to an unaccompanied young person pending a lawful age assessment, a High Court judge has ruled.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 27th February 2017

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Watts v Stewart – leases and licences revisited – Hardwicke Chambers

Posted February 21st, 2017 in charities, housing, landlord & tenant, leases, licensing, news, repossession by sally

‘On 29th September 2004 the Trustees of the Ashtead United Charity allocated Mrs Janet Watts accommodation in an almshouse, in fact one of 14 residential flats the Charity owned at Ashstead in Surrey. In May 2015 they issued proceedings for possession based on the allegations that Mrs Watts had acted in an anti-social manner, swearing, spitting, and aggression. This was a breach of the terms of the Appointments Letter under which she was allocated the property. At the first directions hearing the District Judge ordered a trial of the issue of whether Mrs Watts occupied as a licensee of the Charity or a tenant. If the former of course it would be relatively easy for the Charity to evict her; if the latter, much less so.’

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Hardwicke Chambers, 18th January 2017

Source: www.hardwicke.co.uk

‘Unfit’ council home payouts and legal fees hit £35m in five years – BBC News

Posted February 14th, 2017 in compensation, fees, housing, landlord & tenant, local government, news by sally

‘Councils in England have paid out more than £35m in compensation and legal fees in the past five years to tenants living in “unfit” council homes.’

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BBC News, 14th February 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Government to tweak planning laws to solve housing crisis – The Independent

Posted February 7th, 2017 in housing, local government, news, planning by sally

‘The Government is to outline a series of tweaks to planning laws it says will help solve the housing shortage.’

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The Independent, 7th February 2017

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Paying your fair share: when can an adjudicator decide more than the notified sum must be paid? – Hardwicke Chambers

Posted February 7th, 2017 in arbitration, construction industry, contracts, housing, news by sally

‘Judgment in the case of Kersfield Developments (Bridge Road) Ltd v Bray & Slaughter Ltd, handed down on 19 January 2017, is a new authority in the line of case law providing guidance on the provisions governing interim payments in Construction Contracts in the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996, as amended (“the Act”).’

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Hardwicke Chambers, 2nd February 2017

Source: www.hardwicke.co.uk

‘Solicitor’s agents’ yet again – no rights of audience? – Nearly Legal

Posted January 30th, 2017 in advocacy, housing, legal profession, legal representation, news, rights of audience, solicitor advocates by sally

‘What is more, there is updated guidance from the Bar Council to ‘unregistered barristers acting as solicitor’s agents’ (ie, barristers who have been called, even passed the BPTC, but do not have pupillage or have qualified). The effect of which is that “many individuals currently exercising rights of audience in reliance on this provision (Sch 3 Legal Services Act 2007) are at risk of contravening the Act”. Which is a potentially criminal offence.’

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Nearly Legal, 29th January 2017

Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk

Perception of doors – Nearly Legal

Posted January 30th, 2017 in health & safety, housing, landlord & tenant, local government, news, repairs, surveyors, tribunals by sally

‘The issue in this Upper Tribunal case was whether LB Southwark was entitled charge the leaseholders for works to replace communal doors and front entrance doors carried out during fire safety improvement works on the estate (some 10 block of flats).’

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Nearly Legal, 29th January 2017

Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk

Hackney LBC v Haque – Arden Chambers

Posted January 27th, 2017 in disabled persons, equality, homelessness, housing, local government, news by sally

‘The Court of Appeal has held that the four-stage approach to considering the public sector equality duty in s.149 Equality Act 2010 in Hotak v Southwark LBC [2015] UKSC 30; [2016] AC 811, is concerned only with vulnerability under s.189(1)(c) Housing Act 1996. In cases concerning suitability of accommodation, a review officer had to show (on a “stand-back” reading of the decision) recognition as to whether a homeless applicant had a disability and whether the accommodation was unsuitable having regard to that disability and its impact on the applicant compared to those without such a disability.’

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Arden Chambers, January 2017

Source: www.ardenchambers.com

Costs and inquiries – homelessness appeals – Nearly Legal

Posted January 26th, 2017 in costs, homelessness, housing, inquiries, local government, news by sally

‘The London Borough of Croydon v Lopes [2017] EWHC 33 (QB). Costs on settled s.204 Housing Act 1996 appeals – the issue that never goes away. The latest instalment also brings with it some rather sharp findings by the Court of Appeal on the extent of inquiries the council should have made.’

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Nearly Legal, 25th January 2017

Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk

Suitability and PSED – Nearly Legal

Posted January 26th, 2017 in appeals, disabled persons, equality, housing, mental health, news by sally

‘London Borough of Hackney v Haque [2017] EWCA Civ 4. In which the Court of Appeal grapple with the application of the Public Sector Equality Duty to decisions on suitability of accommodation provided under s.193 Housing Act 1996 (in satisfaction of the full housing duty).’

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Nearly Legal, 24th January 2017

Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk

G4S filmed asylum seekers in their own homes without consent – The Guardian

Posted January 25th, 2017 in asylum, data protection, housing, human rights, news, privacy, security companies, treaties, video recordings by sally

‘Information commissioner raises concern and campaigners threaten legal action over security firm’s use of body-worn cameras.’

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The Guardian, 24th January 2017

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

At last: MoJ announces timetable for LASPO review – Law society’s Gazette

Posted January 19th, 2017 in housing, law centres, legal aid, news by sally

‘The government has set the ball rolling on the long-awaited review of its controversial legal aid reforms, the Ministry of Justice has announced.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 18th January 2017

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

What Westminster did next. Sending the homeless to Coventry – Nearly Legal

Posted January 18th, 2017 in homelessness, housing, local government, news by sally

‘As has been reported here and here, Westminster City Council have decided to adopt various new housing policies. In particular, there are new proposed policies on temporary accommodation and permanent accommodation offers for homeless households.’

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Nearly Legal, 16th January 2017

Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk

‘I should have been a tenant’ – more on Bristol property guardians – Nearly Legal

Posted January 16th, 2017 in housing, landlord & tenant, licensing, news by sally

‘As far as property guardians go, all the action seems to be taking place in Bristol. As well as the issues (and possession claim) noted here, there is a separate possession claim going on, with Camelot seeking possession against Greg Roynon, who was also living in one of the former nursing homes.’

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Nearly Legal, 15th January 2017

Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk

To me – To you – Nearly Legal

Posted January 16th, 2017 in homelessness, housing, judicial review, landlord & tenant, local government, news by sally

‘A judicial review in which two local authorities fought over which of them was gong to have to owe a housing duty to a homeless applicant. The central issue was whether, in the circumstances, Ealing could refuse a referral under the local connection provisions by RBK&C. However, the finding on ‘same facts’ second homeless applications has much broader application and should be taken note of by everyone.’

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Nearly Legal, 15th January 2017

Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk