I haven't posted about the Shelter staff dispute until now, partly because I was hoping it would be resolved and partly because I had little to add. I have been prodded into posting by a comment by Mark P. As he observes, Shelter management are in...
All the blog posts, most recent first
Follow-ups
There have been some very interesting comments on posts from the last week, and further news on the stories, making a catch up post worthwhile. In no particular order... I am delighted that Tony Fearnley commented on the Helena Housing v Molyneaux...
Right to Buy and suitable alternative accommodation
Where a possession order is sought under Ground 16 Schedule 2 Housing Act 1985 (under-occupation on succession), what happens to the tenant's right to buy? And is this a factor in weighing the suitability of alternative accommodation and the...
Not for Profits in trouble?
Madeleine Bunting has an editorial in the Grauniad decrying the civil legal aid reforms, in particular for the effect on the Not for Profits, as well as the 'paralegal in call centre' approach. Apparently Gateshead Law Centre went into receivership...
The Pyramid Scheme
This post is about paralegals and barristers in legal aid work. Which means that it will mostly turn out to be about solicitors. The latest Legal Action (March 2008) has a rather dispiriting, but unsurprising piece on the results of a Young Legal...
Making Good and homeless figures
Via Garden Court's 10 March 2008 bulletin. Birmingham (yes them again) have had their tenancy agreement found to be misleading by the Ombudsman in terms of their liability for making good damage resulting from repairs. Homeless figures are out for...
Birmingham: "Everybody does it"
Apparently, Birmingham are still furious about the Court of Appeal decision in Aweys, with the Tory cabinet member for housing showing marked signs of not actually getting it. In the course of a rant about the CLG offering 'advisors' to help with...
Housing Associations and public function to be tested?
[Edit 30 June 08. The judgment in the following case is now out. For a detailed comment, see this post.] According to Inside Housing, London & Quadrant are fighting an application for Judicial Review in Susan Weaver v London & Quadrant...
Permanent trespassers – a fan letter
A very interesting case report and article by James Stark of Garden Court North in the current Legal Action (March 2008) presents a possible solution to the permanent trespasser problem, at least in part. Permanent trespassers are those who have...
Accidentally Secure
And so to the last of the marathon of housing case notes I've knocked out over the last few days.... This was reported in the Law Gazette, Mansfield District Council v Langridge (2008) CA (Civ Div), (free access at the time of writing) and is not...
Allocation and cumulative need
Ahmad, R (on the application of) v London Borough of Newham [2008] EWCA Civ 140 was Newham's appeal of a JR decision that its allocation scheme was unlawful for failing to take adequate account of cumulative need. This is going to be a long post....
Considering suspension of possession for ASB
London Borough of Lambeth v Debrah [2007] EWCA Civ 1503 was an application for permission to appeal a Circuit Judge judgment giving an order for possession, which was not suspended or stayed. The appeal was not against the order, but the refusal to...