Today (Monday) was Michael Gove's big day. Not the getting stuck in a lift at Broadcasting House for half an hour, but the announcement of his plans to tackle the Building Safety Crisis. There was a distinct change in rhetoric - with developers and...
The shape of things to come – a video look forward.
I decided to ignore 2021 altogether this new year. Instead, here is a look forward (if not entirely an enthusiastic one) to potential policy and legislative changes in 2022, for England, at least. (If Wales finally brings in the Renting Homes (Wales) Act in...
Various notes – anniversaries, punishments, evictions and RROs.
A few notes on events and a couple of RRO cases. Landlord Law, run by Tessa Shepperson, has achieved the remarkable feat of passing its 20th anniversary. That is really quite something for an online service - the online landscape was very different in 2001!....
Leasehold assortment
Some quick notes on leasehold related cases. Termhouse (Clarendon Court) Management Ltd v Al-Balhaa (2021) EWCA Civ 1881 The First Tier Tribunal has no power to enforce its decisions. This has to be done via the County Court. In some circumstances this can...
Court of Appeal on time of demands and legal costs in service charges
Kensquare Ltd v Boakye (2021) EWCA Civ 1725 A second appeal to the Court of Appeal from the Upper Tribunal on a service charge dispute - a decision we briefly noted as Kensquare Ltd v Adwoa & Anor here. There were two main issues, both of some...
Davidoffed.
Since our post on the FTT decision in Maharaj & Lo Porto v Richard Davidoff (Tribunal appointed manager) LON/00AL/LSC/2020/0111, there have been some developments with regard to Richard Davidoff and his company ABC Block Management. First, ABC Block...
Waiver and determining breach of lease
Bedford v Paragon Asra Housing Ltd (LANDLORD AND TENANT - BREACH OF COVENANT - shared ownership lease) (2021) UKUT 266 An interesting Upper Tribunal appeal decision on whether the Tribunal can proceed to make a determination of breach of lease under section...
When a specified sum is a variable service charge.
Aly & Anor v Wickham & Anor (2021) EW Misc 12 (CC) This was an appeal to a Circuit Judge from a first instance decision on a money claim for unpaid service charges for holiday lodges. The lease provided (so far as relevant) that the lessee must pay:...
Misc – erratum, Bedroom tax and DA, and Tribunal managers and reserve funds
An assortment of things... First an erratum to yesterday's post on the High Court judgment on applications to cancel a debt moratorium. The High Court had held that such an application must be by claim form. I was subsequently pointed at Practice Direction...
Late service charge demands and the importance of contemplating forfeiture for recovering legal costs
No. 1 West India Quay (Residential) Ltd v East Tower Apartments Ltd (2021) EWCA Civ 1119 This was a second appeal to the Court of Appeal from the Upper Tribunal on two issues arising from long running litigation between the freeholder, West India Quay and...
Who manages the managers? – Tribunal appointed manager behaving badly.
Maharaj & Lo Porto v Richard Davidoff (Tribunal appointed manager) LON/00AL/LSC/2020/0111 (decision here) A cautionary tale of a Tribunal appointed manager behaving badly and a reminder that the appointed manager's duty is to carry out what is in the...
Damages for breach of lease? Possibly not…
Almacantar Centre Point Nominee No.1 Ltd & Anor v CID Investments Ltd & Ors (2021) EW Misc 10 (CC) This is a county court case, so not a binding precedent, but it is a) fascinating (if hardly uncommon in London as a situation), and b) a judgment by...