Berrisford v Mexfield Housing Co-operative Ltd (Rev 1) [2011] UKSC 32 What happens to a lease for an uncertain term? Or a tenancy that ends on some specified event, whose date is not known and which may or may not happen? Can either the tenant or the...
LVT round up
Work is, most frustratingly, getting in the way of blogging at the moment. I'd wanted to cover these LVT/leasehold property cases as they came out, but I failed. So, in order to get back on track, I'm going to do a bit of a round up of recent cases. It's a...
Getting to know the neighbours
One thing you could never accuse the Right to Manage legislation of being is "user friendly". In Gala Unity Ltd v Ariadne Road Rtm Co Ltd [2011] UKUT 425 (LC), the Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber) (in the person of that very nice chap, the President) has,...
Service charges ad infinitum
The Upper Tribunal is hearing what might turn out to be quite an important s.20, LTA 1985 dispensation case today (LB Southwark v over 13,000 leaseholders in the borough (our note here) and, as ever, we'll bring it to you as soon as we have news of the...
It’s like waiting for a bus
The Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber) appears to have had a sudden burst of efficiency, churning out judgments at over one a week. It wasn't that long ago that I can remember one a month being considered an efficient turn over. The reason, it appears, is that...
They do not hear me, it’s the same old case*
Levitt and Levitt v LB Camden [2011] UKUT 366 (LC) The Brunswick Centre is a well-known mixed residential and commercial development in London. There are almost 400 flats atop perhaps 30 or so commercial units. The flats are (for the most part) heated by a...
Service charges and reasonably incurred
Garside and another v RFYC Ltd and another [2011] UKUT 367 (LC) By s.19(1)(a), Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, leaseholders are only liable to pay service charges to the extent that they are reasonably incurred. The property in question has something of an...
It’s easier to get forgiveness than permission
Westbrook Dolphin Square Ltd v Friends Provident Life and Pensions Ltd [2011] EWHC 2302 (Ch) This is probably one of the most factually complicated collective enfranchisement cases imaginable. In outline, as you know, qualifying tenants of flats have the...
Forms and formalities
Gateway Property Holdings Ltd v 6-10 Montrose Gardens RTM Co Ltd [2011] UKUT 349 (LC) is a rare creature - a decision of the Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber) on a Right to Manage issue. It also appears to be the UT(LC) debut for HHJ Walden-Smith. As you'll...
Three for the LVT mavens
I promised to write the second of these case reports a week ago. Mea culpa. Still, by delaying, I've managed to find two other cases to include. So, without further ado... Ayres and others v Roberts and others In All's Well That Ends Well (Act.1, Scene 1),...
Unaccompanied Service Charge demands
Tingdene Holiday Parks Ltd v Cox and others [2011] UKUT 310 (LC) By s.21B, Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, a demand for the payment of service charges must be "accompanied" by a summary of rights and obligations of tenants in relation to the same. The form of...
Genuinely exciting
I've been away at a stag weekend for the last few days. I therefore recognise that it is possible that my sense of what is (and is not) exciting and fun may be slightly warped, as I try to re-adjust to polite society. I was, however, genuinely excited last...