Administration of estates involving land during the pandemic – The 36 Group

Posted May 12th, 2020 in coronavirus, executors, news, rent, repossession, sale of land by sally

‘It is common for the estates of deceased persons to have as part of their assets land occupied by persons other than the personal representatives. This property might comprise residential or business premises let to tenants and generating an income for the estate, or, a common case, property occupied by the deceased together with a licensee (such as an adult child of the deceased) until death and which continues to be occupied by that licensee after death. The circumstances of the pandemic and its attendant legislation may complicate dealings with such premises, and those complications are considered here.’

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The 36 Group, 27th April 2020

Source: 36group.co.uk

Overriding interest trumped by overreaching – Radcliffe Chambers

Posted April 16th, 2020 in chambers articles, easements, mortgages, news, sale of land by sally

‘It was in City of London Building Society v Flegg that the House of Lords notably considered the position of overriding interests and those interests said to overreach them in the context of a mortgage of a property occupied by a third party. The courts had reason to revisit this area of the law much more recently in Baker v Craggs when the owner of the dominant tenement of an easement claimed that his interest overreached the overriding interest of the owner of the servient tenement. Now, in an ex tempore judgment given on the 19th March 2020, Jeremy Hyam QC, sitting as a Recorder in the County Court at Bristol, has adjudicated upon a similar issue in the case of Knight v Fernley in which the unregistered purchaser of a property who had gone into actual occupation of it claimed that her interest overrode that of a later transferee of the very same land.’

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Radcliffe Chambers, 31st March 2020

Source: radcliffechambers.com

Check your Email Signatures! – Falcon Chambers

‘As every property practitioner knows, s 2(3) of the Law of Property (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1989 (the 1989 Act) requires a contract for the sale or other disposition of land to be ‘signed by or on behalf of each party’. Neocleous v Rees [2019] EWHC 2462 (Ch), [2019] All ER (D) 25 (Oct) was the first occasion on which the court was asked to determine whether an email footer satisfied the requirement for a signature in s 2(3). The issue arose in the context of an alleged compromise agreement between the parties to a property dispute, which was contained in an exchange of emails between their solicitors. Viewed in the wider context of the earlier authorities, and a recent Law Commission report, the decision encourages practitioners to consider how formality requirements in property transactions—and more generally—are now operating in an increasingly digital world.’

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Falcon Chambers, 13th March 2020

Source: www.falcon-chambers.com

Naturalist who wanted to rewild family farm loses 15-year legal battle with his brother, as judge rules he cannot prevent sale – Daily Telegraph

‘A naturalist who wanted to rewild the family farm has lost a 15-year legal battle with his brother after a judge ruled he cannot prevent the sale.’

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Daily Telegraph, 23rd January 2020

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

“Neighbour From Hell?” – Church Court Chambers

Posted November 28th, 2019 in disclosure, misrepresentation, news, noise, nuisance, sale of land, trespass by sally

Does your neighbour regularly park across your driveway? Have a dog that howls or barks incessantly? Play drum and bass music into the early hours? Have children that make uncontrolled noise or trespass regularly onto your property? Use power tools at anti-social hours at the weekend? Do you have a neighbour from hell? Have you raised a complaint to your neighbour directly or to others such as the police or the Local Authority? If so, your property may have suffered a Diminution in Value as a result of such anti-social behaviour or harassment. The value of your property depends on good neighbours and maintaining cordial relations.

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Church Court Chambers, November 2019

Source: churchcourtchambers.co.uk

An appeal is not a form of gratuitous essay-marking exercise – Practical Law: Construction Blog

Posted November 22nd, 2019 in appeals, contracts, judgments, news, sale of land by tracey

‘The recent Court of Appeal judgment in Farrar v Rylatt should serve as a warning to practitioners of the uphill struggle that a party faces when attempting to appeal a trial judge’s findings of fact.’

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Practical Law: Construction Blog, 22nd November 2019

Source: constructionblog.practicallaw.com

“No more waiting for the ink to dry” Electronic Signatures in Property Transactions – Landmark Chambers

Posted November 1st, 2019 in documents, electronic filing, news, sale of land by sally

‘On 3 September 2019, the Law Commission published its report entitled “Electronic execution of documents” (Law Com No 386). It is a report that is of interest to all lawyers, but is of particular interest to property lawyers, given the extent to which formality requirements apply in the context of property transactions.’

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Landmark Chambers, 17th October 2019

Source: www.landmarkchambers.co.uk

Signing Off and Signatures in the Digital Age: Neocleous & Anor v Rees [2019] EWHC 2462 (Ch) – Hardwicke Chambers

Posted October 31st, 2019 in contracts, electronic mail, news, rights of way, sale of land by sally

‘Section 2(1) of the Law of Property (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1989 (‘the 1989 Act’) provides that a contract for the sale or other disposition of an interest in land can only be made in writing. Under section 2(3), the documents incorporating the terms must be signed by or on behalf of each party to the contract.’

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Hardwicke Chambers, 15th October 2019

Source: hardwicke.co.uk

Ocean Outdoor v London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham [2019] EWCA Civ 1642 – Monckton Chambers

Posted October 30th, 2019 in appeals, contracts, damages, local government, news, public procurement, sale of land by sally

‘In a major judgment handed down by the Court of Appeal last week, Coulson LJ has given important guidance on the scope of the Concessions Contract Regulations 2016 (“the CCRs”), the extent of the land transaction exemption, and the requirements for claimants to show ‘sufficiently serious breach’ in procurement claims more generally. This was the first case to consider the CCRs in such a level of detail, and – in a ruling likely to be welcomed by public authorities – the meaning of ‘concession contract’ for the purposes of the Regulations is construed relatively narrowly, with the land transaction exemption given a conversely generous interpretation. The judge’s comments on the hurdles which a claimant must surmount to be awarded Francovich damages for breaches of procurement law also have a notably pro-defendant slant.’

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Monckton Chambers, 16th October 2019

Source: www.monckton.com

Divorcing couples: beware the capital gains tax trap – OUT-LAW.com

Posted October 10th, 2019 in capital gains tax, divorce, matrimonial home, news, penalties, sale of land, time limits by tracey

‘A change to the capital gains tax (CGT) rules from April 2020 means divorcing or separating couples in the UK will have a shorter period of time in which to sell their interest in the family home without being hit by tax penalties.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 8th October 2019

Source: www.pinsentmasons.com

‘Fearful’ principal forged signatures to cover mistake – Law Society Gazette

Posted August 14th, 2019 in disciplinary procedures, forgery, mistake, news, sale of land, solicitors by michael

‘A law firm principal who claimed to be scared of losing his job if he admitted a mistake has been struck off for acting dishonestly.’

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Law Society Gazette, 12th August 2019

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Solicitor sanctioned for role in fraudulent transfer of Islamic centre – Legal Futures

Posted April 15th, 2019 in disciplinary procedures, fines, fraud, news, sale of land, solicitors by michael

‘A solicitor who recklessly facilitated a “dubious transaction” involving an Islamic community centre has been fined £20,000 and given a suspended suspension.’

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Legal Futures, 15th April 2019

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

High court victory for group seeking to build ‘black Canary Wharf’ – The Guardian

Posted March 22nd, 2019 in covenants, minorities, news, planning, sale of land by tracey

‘One of the UK’s largest black communities is celebrating a victory in the high court over a contested piece of land it wants to transform into a “black Canary Wharf”.’

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The Guardian, 21st March 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Couple unable to sell home after discovering public footpath running though living room – The Independent

Posted March 14th, 2019 in footpaths, local government, news, rights of way, sale of land by tracey

‘Couple unable to sell home after discovering public footpath running though living room.’

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The Independent, 13th March 2019

Source: www.independent.co.uk

New Judgment: Wells v Devani [2019] UKSC 4 – UKSC Blog

Posted February 14th, 2019 in agency, contracts, estate agents, interpretation, news, sale of land, Supreme Court by sally

‘This appeal considered whether, where a commission agent and his principal have not expressly, in their oral discussions, identified and agreed the precise event upon which commission is payable, but have expressly agreed in those oral discussions that a commission would be payable at an agreed percentage, their bargain is incomplete. It also considered whether the court can (whether by taking into account the relevant surrounding factual matrix or what the parties said, or the parties’ conduct), imply a term identifying the commission entitling event which gives business efficacy to the parties’ presumed common intention.’

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UKSC Blog, 13th February 2019

Source: ukscblog.com

The merits of and case for Land Value Taxation – OUP Blog

Posted December 18th, 2018 in news, sale of land, taxation, valuation by sally

‘The UK, especially London, has long experienced the kind of property boom that makes prices unaffordable. A recent Confederation of British Industry survey reported that this unaffordability is of great concern to employers. But these booms also mean that the owners of that land are accruing unearned gains which are not being efficiently or equitably taxed. The cost of building or repairing a house is almost the same whether it is in Knightsbridge or Knowsley – it is the land that makes the difference. The value of land comes from the uses to which it is put. The granting of planning permission, for example, increases the value of land, as does the addition of utilities.’

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OUP Blog, 18th December 2018

Source: blog.oup.com

Judge rejects challenge to decision by council to sell cattle market site – Local Government Lawyer

Posted October 22nd, 2018 in judicial review, local government, news, sale of land by sally

‘A judge has refused to grant a campaign group permission to bring a judicial review challenge over a district council’s decision to sell a cattle market to a supermarket chain.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 19th October 2018

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Land Registry aims for first digital property transfer – Legal Futures

Posted October 18th, 2018 in computer programs, electronic filing, land registration, news, sale of land by sally

‘The Land Registry has set itself the target of completing the first fully digital transfer of a property in the coming year to prove the value of smart contracts.’

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Legal Futures, 17th October 2018

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Bennett v Bennett & Others [2018] EWHC 1931 (Ch) – Tanfield Chambers

Posted August 6th, 2018 in contracts, estoppel, news, sale of land, trusts by sally

‘Tanfield barristers Marc Glover and Chloe Sheridan successfully represented the Claimants in a High Court dispute over East Thurrock United Football Club. In a judgment handed down on 25th July 2018, the Court dismissed the defendant’s and additional parties’ claims to a share in the land used by the Football Club, claimed to be worth £10 million.’

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Tanfield Chambers, 6th August 2018

Source: www.tanfieldchambers.co.uk

Dreamvar – where do we go from here? – Hardwicke Chambers

Posted June 18th, 2018 in breach of trust, identity fraud, negligence, news, sale of land, solicitors by sally

‘Who bears the loss when a purchaser agrees to buy a property which isn’t the seller’s to sell? In recent years the courts have had to grapple with the problem caused by “identity fraud”, where a fraudster masquerades as the owner of property, “sells” it to the unsuspecting victim, and then absconds with the money.’

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Hardwicke Chambers, 30th June 2018

Source: www.hardwicke.co.uk