One test for establishing succession to a secure tenancy by a gay partner (not being a civil partner) has been established since Nutting v Southern Housing Group Ltd [2004] EWHC 2982 (Ch). This test is "that the relationship must be openly and...
All the blog posts, most recent first
HB and Exempt accommodation: unreasonably high rent
I admit that SS v Birmingham CC [2013] UKUT 418 (AAC) has been on my to do list for a while and that, possibly, the main reason for finding the time to write it up is because I'm on a two hour strike (#fairpayinHE). But, it is a really quite...
It’s the way that you use it.
I've just received a new First Tier Tribunal bedroom tax decision from Rochdale. This one is interesting because it is the first that I have seen based solely on the tenant's use of the disputed room. The statement of reasons is here (and now on...
Mr Ghopee and Barons Finance – Important for any County Court proceedings
[Update 3 February 2014. A new order has been made in the Mercantile Court. Very important for anyone dealing with or knowing of proceedings by Mr Ghopee under any company name.] We have previously had cause to examine the activities of Mr Dharam...
Confederacy of Dunces.
I've been watching the slow motion catastrophe that is 'Rent 2 Rent' [sic] for a while, as have other NL writers. Despite the high profile collapse of the poster boy and cheerleader, Unidaplace, last autumn, owing many thousands (and the...
“Charles Henry & Co” & “Legal Action”
[Update 24 August 2014. For an intriguing update on Charles Henry and Legal Action, see here.] Anyone who encounters 'Charles Henry & Co' or 'Legal Action' (Not to be confused with Legal Action Group!) in the course of litigation, or has an...
Incoming – bedroom tax and more.
Busy day for bits of news. On the bedroom tax, Lord Freud announced in a House of Lords debate today that amending regulations to remove the 1996 claim exemption will be produced in March, though they haven't got definite parliamentary time yet....
Costs in the LVT
The case of Christoforou and others v Standard Apartments Ltd [2013] UKUT 586 (LC) is now rather less important than it would have been, say, 3 years ago, but is still worthy of note. Mr Christoforou was the leaseholder of a flat in a building of...
Bedroom Tax: the effect of the pre 1996 claim ‘exemption’.
As set out in the previous post, the DWP has confirmed that 4(1)(a) of Schedule 3 of the Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit (Consequential Provisions) Regulations 2006 has the effect that any HB claimant who has been claiming continuously...
Bedroom Tax: Pre 1996 claims exemption.
[Update 10/01/2014 - see further post on details of who is 'exempt' and suggested actions.] Readers may well have seen material going around that suggested that a housing benefit claim that was continuous from pre 1 January 1996 was exempt from the...
Putting it off
Before I come to the facts of Scriven and others v Calthorpe Estates [2013] UKUT 469 (LC), I need, I think, to give a fair bit of background. Even by the comprehensive standards of NL, this is pretty obscure. Estate Management Schemes Estate...
Unsuccessful challenge to 52 weeks rule in Housing Benefit Regs
Obrey v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions [2013] EWCA Civ 1584 concerns an appeal against an Upper Tribunal (Administrative Appeals Chamber) decision which set aside the findings of the First-tier Tribunal (Social Security and Child Support)...