This is a cautionary tale, somewhat along the lines of Hilaire Belloc's Cautionary Tales for Children. Consider this the "George: Who played with a Dangerous Toy, and suffered a Catastrophe of considerable Dimensions." of homelessness judicial reviews....
Quashing or varying a review decision – Unsuitable accommodation
Mohamed v LB Hounslow. Central London County Court. 28 April 2025 (Unreported. A copy of the judgment is here.) Our thanks to Will Ford of Osbornes Law and counsel Daniel Clarke for letting us know about this section 204 appeal of a review of suitability of...
What else to do? Disability discrimination and justification
Thiam v Richmond Housing Partnership (2025) EWHC 933 (KB) This was an appeal of a possession order made by HHJ Luba KC. Ms Thiam was the assured tenant of Richmond Housing. A possession order had been sought on grounds 8 (rent arrears), ground 14 (anti...
Refusal of offers and the end of homeless duties
Socrattes Ofori-Addo v London Borough of Haringey (2025) EWCA Civ 277 A second appeal from a section 204 appeal. Ms O-A had applied to Haringey as homeless and was in temporary accommodation under the section 189B Housing Act 1996 relief duty. An offer of a...
Equality Act assessors and disclosure of advice
Laidley v Metropolitan Housing Trust Ltd (2025) EWCA Civ 448 This is a second appeal from the High Court's appeal judgment that we noted here. The issue was the use of and non-disclosure to the parties of an Equality Act assessor's advice to the Judge in...
The Yeovil Imbroglio
Cawley & Cawley v Abdri Group Limited. Yeovil County Court. 5 February 2025. (Copy of Judgment) This is something of a companion piece to the two judgments in Bristol we noted here, being also a judgment on an interim application in a housing conditions...
Bristol fashion – housing conditions claims
I've been passed a couple of judgments in housing conditions claims at Bristol County Court, one a contested allocation decision, the other on an application for a stay. They are both interesting, but also I think illustrative of current issues in the...
Oddities and Ends
Sorry for the silence, while the cases to write up have piled up. It has been a busy stretch in and out of work... More thorough write-ups of some cases will follow, but for now, a few brief notes on cases of interest and oddness. Thanks to Doughty Street...
On corrections and registers of landlords and tenants
First, an apology for yesterday's post/email. I paused to eat half way through writing, and on re-starting completely confused my Cs and Ls as to claimant/appellant and defendant/respondent. As a result it appeared that both parties had estranged parents in...
Didn’t bother trying to find her. She’s not there.
Lumsden v Charles (2025) EWCC 7 A county court appeal in a tenancy deposit penalty claim, which is both a catalogue of 'you don't want to do it like that', and has a significant point on the operation of section 48 Landlord and Tenant Act 1987. Ms Lumsden...
Starter tenancies, extensions, and section 21 claims – An ASB case.
Yorkshire Housing Limited v Scott. County Court at Scarborough. 30 October 2024. (Not reported. Copy of the judgment is here.) A section 21 based possession claim for a 'starter tenancy' for the reason of anti social behaviour. It was defended on the basis...
Case notes in passing – adverse possession rules, sale and rent-back, and the evidential burden in service charge disputes
A few brief notes on judgments of interest. Brown v Ridley & Anor (Rev1) (2025) UKSC 7 The Supreme Court considered para 5(4) to Schedule 6 Land Registration Act 2002 on the requirements for an application for registered title through adverse possession...