Butt v LB Hounslow [2011] EWCA Civ 1372 is, frankly, daylight robbery. You'll remember that in Bubb v Wandsworth (our note here), the Court of Appeal made clear that the county court on a s.204 appeal should not start finding facts. Ever. So, we come to...
Don’t be a newcomer
One of the best known judgment in the English speaking world is Miller v Jackson [1977] QB 966. The start of the judgment of Denning LJ (for it is he) is worth setting out, just to remind you all: In summertime village cricket is the delight of everyone....
And you find that power where?
By s.168, Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002, a landlord may not serve a notice under s.146, Law of Property Act 1925, or otherwise exercise a right of re-entry (i.e. forfeiture) in respect of a breach of a covenant (other than one to pay rent - which...
No further forward
One of the most vexing questions in service charge litigation is the interaction between default judgment and s.81, Housing Act 1996. In summary, s.81, 1996 Act requires that, before any notice under s.146, Law of Property Act 1925 (forfeiture) can be...
Service charge accounting
The Association of Residential Managing Agents have, together with the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales (and their sister body in...
Calling Hercules J
Freeholders of 69 Marina, St Leonards-on-Sea v Oram and another [2011] EWCA Civ 1258 A case on costs of LVT and county court proceedings, and quite an important one at that. 69 Marina is a building in St Leonards-on-Sea. It has been converted into 6 flats,...
LVT round up
Work is, most frustratingly, getting in the way of blogging at the moment. I'd wanted to cover these LVT/leasehold property cases as they came out, but I failed. So, in order to get back on track, I'm going to do a bit of a round up of recent cases. It's a...
Getting to know the neighbours
One thing you could never accuse the Right to Manage legislation of being is "user friendly". In Gala Unity Ltd v Ariadne Road Rtm Co Ltd [2011] UKUT 425 (LC), the Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber) (in the person of that very nice chap, the President) has,...
Service charges ad infinitum
The Upper Tribunal is hearing what might turn out to be quite an important s.20, LTA 1985 dispensation case today (LB Southwark v over 13,000 leaseholders in the borough (our note here) and, as ever, we'll bring it to you as soon as we have news of the...
It’s like waiting for a bus
The Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber) appears to have had a sudden burst of efficiency, churning out judgments at over one a week. It wasn't that long ago that I can remember one a month being considered an efficient turn over. The reason, it appears, is that...
They do not hear me, it’s the same old case*
Levitt and Levitt v LB Camden [2011] UKUT 366 (LC) The Brunswick Centre is a well-known mixed residential and commercial development in London. There are almost 400 flats atop perhaps 30 or so commercial units. The flats are (for the most part) heated by a...
Service charges and reasonably incurred
Garside and another v RFYC Ltd and another [2011] UKUT 367 (LC) By s.19(1)(a), Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, leaseholders are only liable to pay service charges to the extent that they are reasonably incurred. The property in question has something of an...