2012 seems to be a bumper year for cases under s.37, Landlord and Tenant Act 1987. Having had (so far as I can tell) none in the previous 20-odd years, we've now had two. The first was covered by us here and the second has just been handed down by the Upper...
Where’s Wally?
The Where's Wally? books are surprisingly good fun. You spend hours pouring over a page (or pages) trying to find Wally as he hides in ever more obscure places. Reading Day v Hosebay Ltd; Howard de Walden v Lexgorge [2012] UKSC 41 did rather feel like a...
Get back in your box
There is, it is fair to say, a degree of inconsistency in the approach and practice of LVTs up and down the country. In particular, some LVT members seem to see it as part of their role to act as quasi-audit bodies, looking into all aspects of the landlord's...
New Practice Direction for s.204 appeals
The 59th update to the CPR comes into force on October 1, 2012 and, importantly, it brings in a raft of new practice directions for appeals. For we housing lawyers, page 81 of this document sets out the position for s.204 appeals. The appellant should now...
LVT issues – pre-summer holiday round up
This should - I hope - be the last leasehold property/LVT case round up for a few weeks. But it's a good one. I promise. Appeals. Service charges. Consultation. Right to Manage. Who needs "50 Shades" when you've got case-law to enjoy? Appeals Wellcome Trust...
Job Ad (2)
This is, I accept, slightly cheeky, but it occurred to me that our readers might like to apply for the job of President of the new First Tier Tribunal (Property Chamber). Salary is £138,548 (and a judicial pension). The successful candidate will provide the...
Giving 110%
We wouldn't usually cover a PI case here on NL, but Simmons v Castle [2012] EWCA Civ 1039 has - and is intended to have - implications far beyond PI. The case itself was an appeal arising out of a road traffic accident. The Recorder had awarded damages...
Trespassers and Article 8
Seek and ye shall find. Thanks to Lindsay Johnson of Doughty Street Chambers we now have a transcript of the decision in Malik v (1) Persons Unknown, (2) Reynolds (3) Matthews (0UB00913, Central London County Court, HHJ Walden-Smith). Mr Malik was the...
Private sector Art 8 – another one?
News reaches us here at NL towers of another private sector Art.8 case (following Khela v Dainter, our note here). Details are sketchy, but it seems that Central London County Court was dealing with a possession claim against squatters. The CJ is said to...
Discharging leasehold covenants
Restrictive covenants are, in broad terms, contractual restrictions imposed on the current user/owner of land, often imposed by a former owner of the same land (e.g. Mr A sells a field to Mr B, but includes a covenant preventing Mr B from building flats on...
The Norwegian Blue
Lindheim and others v Norway 13221/08 & 2139/10 is a case about leasehold enfranchisement, Norwegian style. I wanted to cover it because it might have some relevance to domestic enfranchisement law* and because there are references to a proportionality...
New LVT procedural rules: a consultation
It's been promised for a while now. The merger of the LVT (in its various forms, RAC, RPT, etc) into the Tribunal Service as a First Tier Tribunal. And so we finally have the details. In Consultation on proposed new (First Tier Tribunal) (Property Chamber)...