Keeney Construction Ltd v Dr Zoe Brooke and others [2013] UKUT 329 (LC) is an odd little case (an opening phrase I tend to use a lot when talking about UT appeals). The substantive issue concerned a lease variation application under s.35, Landlord and Tenant...
Water, water everywhere…
There are those who say that service charges are a dry subject. To them I say, welcome to Wallace-Jarvis v (1) Optima (Cambridge) Ltd (2) Khazai [2013] UKUT 328 (LC). The leaseholders at a development were concerned that their service charges were too high...
No-one to talk to
BDW Trading Ltd v South Anglia Housing Ltd [2013] EWHC B10 (Ch) is important and deserves much wider coverage than it has otherwise got. Before turning to the facts, lets just remind ourselves of the provisons of ss 20, 20ZA, Landlord and Tenant Act 1985. In...
Confirming my irrational prejudice
I've never liked the Gower. I recognise that, objectively, it's quite beautiful, but it was ruined for me by a camping holiday as a child. It was cold and wet. The rain was almost biblical in volume. There was nothing to do. And I ran out of books to read....
Leasehold update
Those of you who follow the leasehold update religiously will note that J usually takes care of these things, but not this month. I have the pleasure of that. First, we have Triplerose Ltd v Bishun [2013] UKUT 0257 (LC) Triplerose were the freehold owners of...
Yesterday’s just a memory
In honour of the birth (in England) of the new FTT(PC), I bring you a little note about case from the UT(LC), all about forgetting old things. Jastrzembski v Westminster CC [2013] UKUT 284 (LC) concerns some major works. The underlying facts are relatively...
Leasehold repair covenants and damages
Hunt & Ors v Optima (Cambridge) Ltd & Ors [2013] EWHC 681 (TCC) This is a brief note on what was a complex case arising out of what, by any measure, appears to have been a very poor construction and subsequent maintenance of a new build block of...
When is an insurance premium reasonably incurred?
In Avon Estates (London) Limited v Sinclair Gardens Investments (Kensington) Limited [2013] UKUT 0264 (LC) [not online yet we have a transcript] the Upper Tribunal considered the question of whether an insurance premium had been reasonable incurred. Avon...
Notice me
Riniker v Mattey , Divisional Court, June 7, 2013 (Lawtel note only) is another odd little service charge case. The note isn't entirely clear but, so far as I can see, it concerns the little-used Schedule to the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985. If you're...
Leasehold round up
We do try here to keep on top of the work of the UT(LC) and so I bring you the following for your delight and enjoyment. First up comes Triplerose Ltd v (1) Grantglen Ltd (2) Cane Developments Ltd [2012] UKUT 204 (LC), a case all about s.47, Landlord and...
Not in my court
Forfeiture is, for the most part, beloved by landlords and hated/feared by tenants. For what might be relatively minor breaches of covenant, you can lose your lease and the landlord make an enormous windfall. The legislative trend is (slowly) in favour of...
Ask nicely
In R (Spaul) v Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber) (Lawtel note only, Admin Ct, 22.5.13 - wrongly noted as being the UT(Administrative Appeals Chamber) we have an odd little case. As you may know, cases in the LVT are appealed to the Upper Tribunal (Lands...