Category: leases

Supreme Court clarifies law on leasehold service charges – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted February 9th, 2023 in landlord & tenant, leases, news, service charges, Supreme Court by sally

‘Landlords of a block of 38 flats in Swansea, Hampshire, are entitled to vary service charges levied on leaseholders, five Supreme Court justices ruled today in a clarification of part of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985. The dismissal of the tenants’ appeal was the fourth ruling in a dispute which began when leaseholders objected to the re-apportioning of the charges above those stated on their leases.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 8th February 2023

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Building Safety Act 2022: changing the rules on the landlord and tenant relationship, Part 2 – qualifying lease certificates – Practical Law: Construction Blog

Posted January 31st, 2023 in building law, health & safety, landlord & tenant, leases, news, service charges by tracey

‘In a previous blog, I explored one aspect of the statutory reallocation of risk for the costs of works to remedy building safety issues in the Building Safety Act 2022 (BSA 2022). The focus of that blog was the new landlord’s certificate, designed as a tool for the landlord to communicate with leaseholders as to whether it is “responsible” for defects, or whether it meets the “contribution condition” in the BSA 2022. In this blog, I will focus on the second element of this new framework, the “qualifying lease certificate” or “leaseholder certificate”. The relevant provisions of the BSA 2022 came into force on 28 June 2022, and the related regulations have been in force since 21 July 2022.’

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Practical Law: Construction Blog, 25th January 2023

Source: constructionblog.practicallaw.com

Gove admits ‘faulty’ guidance partly to blame for Grenfell fire – The Guardian

Posted January 30th, 2023 in accidents, building law, construction industry, fire, government departments, health & safety, housing, inquiries, leases, news by tracey

‘Michael Gove has admitted that “faulty and ambiguous” government guidance was partly responsible for the Grenfell Tower tragedy. The UK housing secretary said lax regulation allowed cladding firms to “put people in danger in order to make a profit”.’

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The Guardian, 29th January 2023

Source: www.theguardian.com

Insurance premiums and commissions – Nearly Legal

Posted January 9th, 2023 in housing, insurance, leases, news by tracey

‘Canary RIverside Estate LON/00BG/LSC/2019/0277 (copy decision here via Leasehold Knowledge Partnership). This was the FTT’s decision on an application by the residential leaseholders of the Canary Riverside Estate challenging the insurance premiums they had had to pay over the 10 years since 2010/11.’

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Nearly Legal, 8th January 2023

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

Clicks, pops and nuisance – Nearly Legal

Posted November 7th, 2022 in expert witnesses, housing, leases, news, noise, nuisance by tracey

‘Tejani v Fitzroy Place Residential Ltd (2022) EWHC 2760 (TCC). This is another in what appears to be becoming a series (see previous post) of very expensive but failed nuisance claims. I will not go into great detail, but there are two lessons to be drawn.’

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Nearly Legal, 6th November 2022

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

Once more unto the breach – Nearly Legal

Posted October 31st, 2022 in appeals, covenants, housing, landlord & tenant, leases, news, notification by tracey

‘Dorrington Residential Ltd v 56 Clifton Gardens Ltd (LANDLORD AND TENANT – BREACH OF COVENANT – tenant’s covenant to permit landlord to enter and inspect a residential flat) (2022) UKUT 266 (LC). An appeal to the Upper Tribunal of an FTT decision that the leaseholders were in breach of lease by failing to provide access to the freeholder’s agents.’

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Nearly Legal, 30th October 2022

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

Incorrect precedent led to wrong ground rent advice for 115 clients – Legal Futures

Posted October 11th, 2022 in conveyancing, disciplinary procedures, fines, leases, legal advice, mistake, news, solicitors, Solicitors Regulation Authority by tracey

‘A solicitor who gave 115 clients the wrong advice about the ground rent provisions in the leases of properties they were buying – because of an incorrect precedent – has been fined £15,000.’

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Legal Futures, 10th October 2022

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Supreme Court refuses City of London permission to appeal in dispute with leaseholders over service charges – Local Government Lawyer

Posted August 16th, 2022 in appeals, leases, news, service charges, Supreme Court by sally

‘The Supreme Court has refused the City of London Corporation permission to appeal in a dispute with leaseholders of a tower block over whether certain repairs to their homes were chargeable to them, it has emerged.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 15th August 2022

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Rabbit holes to fall down – Nearly Legal

Posted July 14th, 2022 in harassment, judicial review, landlord & tenant, leases, news, repossession by tracey

‘In case you are in need of distraction from the heat/the tory leadership contest/getting your first, second or third bout of covid/the general state of all things, may I present a small collection of judgments at which to rubberneck. None seem massively important in legal terms, but I can promise at least two or three jaw drops per judgment, and you may find you have spent days down the rabbit holes.’

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Nearly Legal, 12th July 2022

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

Not incidental enough – Nearly Legal

Posted June 24th, 2022 in appeals, costs, housing, landlord & tenant, leases, news, service charges by tracey

‘Mayor and Burgesses of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets v Khan (2022) EWCA Civ 831. A Court of Appeal judgment on whether a freeholder, LB Tower Hamlets, was entitled to contractual legal costs under the lease, following a money claim for unpaid service charges.’

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Nearly Legal, 21st June 2022

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

Research Briefing: Leasehold high-rise flats: Who pays for fire safety work? – House of Commons Library

Posted June 13th, 2022 in bills, building law, construction industry, fire, health & safety, housing, leases, news, parliament by tracey

‘This briefing considers debate about responsibility for paying for fire safety works on blocks of flats in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire. It covers provisions in the Building Safety Act 2022.’

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House of Commons Library, 9th June 2022

Source: commonslibrary.parliament.uk

Unravelling – the effect of a debt moratorium on enforcement steps taken during it. – Nearly Legal

Posted May 16th, 2022 in damages, debts, enforcement, housing, leases, mental health, news, repossession by tracey

‘Lees v Kaye (2022) EWHC 1151 (QB). This is another judgment on the operation of the Debt Respite Scheme (Breathing Space Moratorium and Mental Health Crisis Moratorium) (England & Wales) Regulations 2020. (The first was part of the Brake v Axnoller litigation, the denouments of which I have yet to write up). The case highlights the potential impact of a moratorium and the importance of paying attention to them, because it can give rise to great difficulty in unravelling what has been done.’

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Nearly Legal, 15th May 2022

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

Service and admin charges – from the Upper Tribunal – Nearly Legal

Posted April 4th, 2022 in appeals, consultations, housing, landlord & tenant, leases, news, repairs, service charges by sally

‘The First Tier Tribunal had been wrong to grant dispensation from section 20 consultation requirements on the basis that the freeholder “had started the consultation process and had kept the leaseholders of flats in the block informed until the works became sufficiently urgent that the respondent had had to carry them out without waiting for the consultation to be completed.”’

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Nearly Legal, 3rd April 2022

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

The leasehold reform consultation – Mills & Reeve

Posted February 16th, 2022 in chambers articles, consultations, enfranchisement, government departments, housing, landlord & tenant, leases, news by sally

‘The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities is seeking views on the reform of the residential leasehold and commonhold system in England and Wales.’

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Mills & Reeve, 14th February 2022

Source: www.mills-reeve.com

New powers proposed to end unsafe cladding – BBC News

Posted February 15th, 2022 in bills, construction industry, fire, health & safety, leases, news, repairs by tracey

‘New powers proposed to end unsafe cladding’

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BBC News, 14th February 2022

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

New Act – legislation.gov.uk

Posted February 11th, 2022 in leases, legislation by tracey

Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Act 2022

Source: www.legislation.gov.uk

Settled by Settlers – Nearly Legal

Posted January 17th, 2022 in appeals, housing, landlord & tenant, leases, news, service charges, Supreme Court by tracey

‘FirstPort Property Services Ltd v Settlers Court RTM Co Ltd [2022] UKSC 1 is a big deal in the world of residential leasehold property disputes. Whilst I can’t say that the result is particuarly surprising, I imagine it has sent lawyers, RTM company directors and the Law Commission into a bit of a spin.’

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Nearly Legal, 15th January 2022

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

The ‘right to manage’ and shared estate facilities – Local Government Lawyer

Posted January 13th, 2022 in easements, landlord & tenant, leases, news, service charges, Supreme Court by tracey

‘In a key ruling on the “right to manage” and wider estate facilities, the Supreme Court has overturned the Court of Appeal’s ruling in Gala Unity. Simon Allison and Kimberley Ziya consider the implications.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 12th January 2022

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Leaseholders will not have to pay to fix any fire risks, government pledges – The Guardian

Posted January 11th, 2022 in defective premises, fire, health & safety, leases, news, repairs, taxation by tracey

‘New legislation will protect leaseholders from the costs of all post-Grenfell building safety defects, not just combustible cladding, the government has said.’

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The Guardian, 10th January 2022

Source: www.theguardian.com

Leasehold assortment – Nearly Legal

Posted December 15th, 2021 in appeals, county courts, enforcement, housing, landlord & tenant, leases, news, service charges, tribunals by tracey

‘Some quick notes on leasehold related cases.’

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Nearly Legal, 12th December 2021

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk