No prizes for guessing what I was listening to when I decided to write this. I bring you two important cases from the Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber) about sub-let fees and administration charges:Holding & Management (Solitaire Ltd) v Norton and other...
Equity Release Schemes: the CA view
Cook v The Mortgage Business PLC et al [2012] EWCA Civ 17 [note for law students: this is a really important case on land registration in which the principles in Abbey National BS v Cann are considered and applied. Please note that we do not write essays...
Even more exciting
The GLA has been conducting a review of service charges in London (see here for our piece on the original announcement) and, earlier today (Monday, January 23, 2012), held an oral evidence session at City Hall. I couldn't make it, sadly, but did manage to...
No comparing
When considering 'general housing circumstances in the area' under Housing Act 1996 s.177(2) on a s.202 review, can the review officer conduct a comparative exercise? A s.204 appeal decision in Chawa v Kensington and Chelsea RLBC (Central WLondon County...
The best thing in life is free
But, like John Lee Hooker, I need money. It's one of the reasons (a) I keep a close eye on costs cases and (b) I don't get involved in the never-ending attempt by law students to get us to teach them about constructive trusts on this blog. Plantation Wharf...
I watch the ripples change their size
.... 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...