.... with the words of Mr David Bowie ringing in my ears, I bring you a decison of the Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber) all about changes and how and when to make them. In Re: 167 Kingshurst Road [2012] UKUT 4 (LC), the Upper Tribunal was dealing with an...
Proportionality and stay of eviction
One of the questions posed as a result of Hounslow LBC v Powell [2011] UKSC 8 [our report here] is what happens if a proportionality argument is raised after a possession order has been made, but before eviction. Powell found that s.89 Housing Act 1980,...
When is a warrant executed?
Royal Bank of Scotland v Bray Halifax County Court 25 November 2011 At what point in the course of an eviction and securing of a property is the warrant considered to be executed, so that no application for a stay can be made? This is a County Court case,...
Full of Sound and Fury…
Signifying nothing* (*And yes, I am aware that the preceding line is 'A tale told by an idiot'.) The much trumpeted Wandsworth riot related eviction has stalled even before possession proceedings were issued. According to a press release from Liberty,...
Occupy LSX update
As you may well have seen in the news, the Corporation of London was granted a possession order and injunction against the tents and camp of Occupy LSX in the churchyard area outside St Paul's Cathedral by the High Court on Wednesday 18 January. The judgment...
Substantial Dispute
Benesco Charity Ltd v Kanj & Anor [2011] EWHC 3415 (Ch) CPR55.8 has been the the subject of a surprising amount of appellate interest recently. For those of you not nodding sagely at this point CPR55.8 deals with the Courts obligations at a summary...
Allocations Code Consultation
In our shiny bright new year, DCLG is consulting on a new version of the Allocations Code of Guidance following the enactment of the Localism Act 2011, which has made several seemingly minor substantive alterations to Part 6, Housing Act 1996 (although those...
Crumbs of comfort for those ‘too poor to go bankrupt’
Secretary of State for Work and Pensions v Payne & Cooper (test case) [2011] UKSC 60 This is a decision of the Supreme Court. It considers the issue of whether deductions in respect of Social Fund Loan repayments and overpaid benefits can continue to be...
Housing benefit and available accommodation
The Chartered Institute of Housing and the Guardian have put together the results of a survey into the effect of the housing benefit/LHA limits and the pegging to the bottom third of market rents coming into force in January. Specifically the survey looks at...
Proportionality, Art. 8 and Monk
Chesterfield BC v Bailey is a highly instructive case heard at first instance by Recorder Tilbury in the Derby County Court. We thank Philip Barber of Zenith Chambers for providing us with a transcript of the judgment. The Defence was run by Chesterfield Law...
Ain’t nothin’ goin’ on ’bout the rent
Tolui v London Rent Assessment Panel [2011] EWHC (Admin), [2011] All ER (D) 126 (Dec) [On Lawtel, not on Bailii yet] Or how not to go about challenging a Rent Assessment Panel decision. Mr T is the landlord of a rent act protected tenancy. In 2009 he applied...
Let’s all move to … Wales
We have previously commented on various housing and homelessness developments in Wales. These have been individual interventions into homelessness and the legislative competence order giving legislative housing powers to the Assembly. Moves are now afoot...