Tag Archive for 'RSL'

Starter tenancy: proportionality ‘just about arguable’

West Kent Housing Association v Haycraft [2011] EWCA Civ 992 (Not on Bailii. We’ve seen a transcript)

This was a renewed application for permission to appeal to the Court of Appeal on a second (or perhaps first- see below) appeal from the granting of a possession order. The ground of appeal was that the appellant tenant had a defence of proportionality which had not been considered by the District Judge and not considered adequately by the Circuit Judge in dismissing the first appeal.

Mr H had a starter tenancy (or AST) from West Kent Housing Association, an RSL/PRPSH. In January 2010, the RSL had a meeting, described as a re-hearing … Read the full post

RSLs support L&Q in Weaver appeal

According to Inside Housing, not only is L&Q to seek permission to appeal the Court of Appeal decision to the Lords/Supreme Court (and no surprise there) but the G15 group of the largest RSLs in London are potentially backing them, including funding. To quote Inside Housing:

Steve Howlett, chief executive of Peabody Trust and chair of the G15, said: ‘The G15 will consider how we can support L&Q if it chooses to appeal.’

When asked if this meant contributing to a possible ‘appeal fund’, Mr Howlett replied: ‘Yes – that is something that has previously been discussed.’

Given the ludicrous position that the LSC adopted on funding the Court … Read the full post

RSL meet HRA, HRA meet RSL

Well, well, well.  Or perhaps well, well, oh heck.  The Court of Appeal has handed down its judgment in R (Weaver) v London & Quadrant Housing Trust [2009] EWCA Civ 587 and, by a majority, L&Q have lost.

It will be remembered that Mrs Weaver was a tenant of L&Q.  L&Q sought to evict her, relying on Ground 8.  She resisted this, claiming that she had a legitimate expectation that they would use Grounds 10 or 11 first and that the eviction engaged Article 8 of the European Convention of Human Rights.  The High Court rejected any suggestion of a legitimate expectation.  Because of the way that it was advanced … Read the full post

Weaver v L&Q Newsflash

R(Weaver) v London & Quadrant [2009] EWCA Civ 587  is out (link to doc of the judgment thanks to Garden Court)

This was the Court of Appeal hearing of L&Q’s appeal of the High Court finding that it was a public authority in its housing function, subject to judicial review and the HRA.

Result – L&Q lost. They are indeed a public authority in their housing function.

But there is a lot in the detail – our full report to come.

So… House of Lords anyone?

[Edit. OK, one the one hand, the NL team are fighting over who gets to write up the detailed post, and on the other, … Read the full post

A Weaver v L&Q interlude.

While we wait for the Court of Appeal judgment in Weaver v London & Quadrant – the case was heard in the last week of February, I believe – we have a judgment along the way, specifically on Weaver’s application for a protected costs order (PCO). It is tempting to see this as something of a parable or synecdoche of the practical frustrations of bringing housing cases, and perhaps of the approach of certain large RSLs.

So, Weaver v London Quadrant Housing Trust [2009] EWCA Civ 235.

As all will recall, L&Q were declared to be a public body for the purposes of the Human Rights Act (and also … Read the full post

Request for info – Ground 8

Ah, Ground 8. How we love it.

We have been asked by some researchers, who are investigating housing association rent arrears management as well as their use of Ground 8, if readers would get in touch with them if they have experience of RSLs using Ground 8 and in what circumstances it is used.  The independent researchers have been asked by the Housing Corporation/Tenants Services Authority to find out particularly about the use of Ground 8 by RSLs as opposed to the use of other grounds for possession, as well as other rent arrears management strategies which might be adopted by RSLs.  They would be particularly interested in any anecdotal … Read the full post

On the Naughty Step

Or an RSL behaving badly, again. And this time it’s personal…

21 Press House, Press Road LON/00AE/LSC/2007/0292 [pdf], an LVT decision. The landlord, Stadium Housing Association, were facing an application over hefty service charges made on an shorthold assured tenancy which was Part VII temporary accommodation for Brent Council.

How did Stadium Housing decide to defend the case? By attacking the integrity of the Tribunal. Stadium pointed out that the chair, Nik Nicol, was a member of the Housing Law Practioner’s Association (yes, Hlpa!). Stadium, via their counsel Mr Grundy, alleged that:

the purpose of Hlpa was to promote the interests of tenants [...] and it was as plain as

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