[aka Three out of the Five go ever so slightly bonkers on the way to Mornington Crescent, and one of those three gets lost on the way] On the Radio 4 show, I'm sorry I haven't a clue, there is a game called Mornington Crescent, in which there are no rules...
‘Minded to’ letters and oral representations
Bury Metropolitan Borough Council v Gibbons [2010] EWCA Civ 327 This was the Court of Appeal judgment on a second appeal from a s.204 Housing Act 1996 appeal in the County Court. At issue were the Circuit Judge's findings that Bury had: a) failed to give...
Permission 2 – given: EU child and Homeless duty
Lekpo-Bozua v Hackney LBC [2010] EWCA Civ 222 [Not on Bailii] Ms L-B had applied to Hackney as homeless. Hackney accepted that she was eligible, homeless, not intentionally homeless and in priority need, because her niece, a child, lived with her. However,...
Probably wrong but wholly academic
Raw, R (on the application of) v London Borough of Lambeth [2010] EWHC 507 (Admin) This case is a vivid illustration of the difficulties of challenging a Local Authority's apparent homelessness gatekeeping practices, or alternatively, if you are a Local...
Right of residence and children in education
LB Harrow v Ibrahim C‑310/08 on reference from the Court of Appeal (LB Harrow v Ibrahim and another [2008] EWCA Civ 386. Our note here). The question was whether: (a) children of EU citizens who have installed themselves in a member state during the exercise...
Missing letters, Reviews and Determinations of Civil Rights
Tomlinson & Ors v Birmingham City Council [2010] UKSC 8 This is the Supreme Court judgment on the appeal from the Court of Appeal of what was then called Ali & Ibrahim v Birmingham City Council [2008] EWCA 1228 [our report here]. At issue was whether...
Advice and assistance
R(Savage) v LB Hillingdon [2009] EWHC Admin 88 [not on Bailii yet, available on Lawtel]. Ms S applied to Hillingdon Council as homeless following a possession order on her private rented accommodation on grounds of rent areas. Hillingdon provided temporary...
Gatekeeping and an absence of records
Local Government Ombudsman's decision: London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham (09 001 262) 'Ms Kenza' (not her real name) approached LB Hammersmith and Fulham as homeless when she had to leave her private rented home following an incident of domestic...
Transfers and rent arrears
The question of the interaction between housing debt and prioritisation for an allocation under Part VI, Housing Act 1996, appears to have been in issue in R(Osei) v Newham LBC Lettings Agency, decided on 27.01.10. I say "appears to" because, as of yet, no...
Don’t answer the phone…
[Update 03/04/2011 - the Court of Appeal decision on the further appeal in this case is here.] Makisi v Birmingham City Council (Birmingham County Court Appeal Ref: BM9 0166A, 6 Jan 2010) This was the County Court hearing of a s.204 Housing Act 1996 appeal...
Birmingham Council Gatekeeping, with benefit of transcript
Kelly & Mehari v Birmingham CC [2009] EWHC 3240 (Admin) [Not on Bailii yet, available on Lawtel] Following our note here (and the very helpful comment to it) we've got the transcript of the judgment. (In fact I've had it for a few days, but it has been hell...
Physical violence only
Yemshaw v Hounslow LBC (2009) CA (Civ Div) 15/12/2009 [only as Lawtel note so far] This was an appeal to the Court of Appeal from a s.202 appeal on the issue of what 'violence' in s.177(1) Housing Act 1996 meant. S.177(1) provides that it is not reasonable...