Last night, I was in Leeds at the wonderful Centre for Law and Social Justice, and discussed with some scholars and lawyers (over a few drinks) the way in which housing law appears to have become its own isolated and insular sub-discipline. This...
All the blog posts, most recent first
On the Naughty Step – the questionable ethics of the Christian Legal Centre
Some people will not have come across the Christian Legal Centre (CLC) until the Alfie Evans case. Others will know something of their history. What the Alfie Evans case has done is cast light on what one might call the modus operandi of the CLC...
Councils behaving badly – Part whatever
With grateful thanks to Housing: Recent Developments in March 2018 Legal Action comes this report of a county court case for unlawful eviction. What makes it slightly unusual is that the perpetrator landlord was a council. Lutman v Ashford BC,...
Bedroom Tax – the powers of the Tribunal and a sufficient chest of drawers
Two bedroom tax related decisions - the first of which is a decision of widespread import on the powers (or lack thereof) of the First Tier Tribunal. The Secretary of State for Work And Pensions v Carmichael & Anor (2018) EWCA Civ 548 The was...
Accommodation pending Appeal – where to appeal a refusal?
Davis v Watford Borough Council (2018) EWCA Civ 529 A technical appeal on a point of construction of Housing Act 1996 on homelessness appeals that has considerable practical importance. Usually when a s.204 appeal is being issued, and the council...
‘Things not to do’ corner – Deposit protection counterclaim edition
Wood v Arkley, County Court at Bradford, 15 March 2018 Our grateful thanks to counsel Vilma Vodanovic and solicitor Nawaz Zeb of Foundation for the note of judgment. A section 21 possession claim by the landlord Wood was met with a defence and...
The costs of dangerous cladding – leaseholders position
First Tier Tribunal LON/00AH/LSC/2017/0435 - Firstport Property Services Ltd v various leaseholders of Citiscape We previously saw the Salford decision on the costs of a 'waking watch' in a tower with 'Grenfell' style cladding, but this was the...
Errata – AST regulations and non-existent requirements.
Yes, there is indeed a backlog of cases to write up, covering issues from who pays for cladding removal, through Tribunals and the Human Rights Act, to the proper venue for a claim for accommodation pending s.204 appeal where there was no review...
More vulnerability
Rother DC v Freeman-Loach [2018] EWCA Civ 368 is the latest installment on the interpretation of vulnerability for the purposes of homelessness law, with a sting in the tail about s 204A appeals. Mr Freeman-Loach suffered from ostoarthritis,...
Deposits – don’t mislead about compliance. And the multiple breach issue
(14/11/2019 NB, this post has been edited following a complaint from Mr Scott, details of which will be set out below) Thank you to my colleague and fount of wisdom Deirdre Forster for this case note on a tenancy deposit claim. Howard Davies v...
On a Housing Court and (not) making things simpler.
A specialist Housing Court is in the air. Sajid Javid, Minister for Housing. Communities and Local Government, has repeatedly mentioned 'discussions' with the judiciary on a housing court, ever since the last Tory conference in October. There has...
How late it was, how late
On the death of a tenant (without successor, if there is a possible succession) section 18 Law of Property (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1994 provides: “Notices affecting land: service on personal representatives before filing of grant. (1) A...