Windsor and District Housing Association v Hewitt [2011] EWCA Civ 1096 (Not on Bailii or elsewhere. We've seen a transcript). It is of interest not least for the Court of Appeal's view of the meaning of the funding limitations on a Public Funding...
Pass me down the wine
The number of letters published in The Guardian on the topic of the law on squatting has now reached two and can therefore be fairly described as an “exchange”.We have already noted Mike Weatherley MP’s letter to The Guardian and I urge you all to read that...
Squatting- A Reply to Mike Weatherley MP
The debate on squatting has become highly polarised and increasingly bad tempered. Mr Weatherley's salvo is merely the latest in a range of unhelpful comments that make for good newspaper sales but achieve little. It falls to me to open the NL team's reply....
Back in the Consulting Room
The London Borough of Newham is holding a consultation on the introduction of selective licensing accross the whole borough. Selective licensing is a byproduct of the HMO licensing provisions in the Housing Act 2004. It permits a local authority to licence...
Morris dancing
Bah v The United Kingdom - 56328/07 [2011] ECHR 1448 This is a decision of the European Court of Human Rights on the regulations for eligibility for housing support, after the declaration of incompatibility in Westminster v Morris [2005] EWCA Civ 1184. It is...
Well he would, wouldn’t he?
The mass letter on misrepresentation of trespass will be going out this morning (Monday 26 Sept). The letter will be sent to all the major newspapers, and BBC and ITN news, probably before you read this. The Guardian has what I think is a good article on the...
The assignment that wasn’t.
Haringey LBC v Theobald. Clerkenwell and Shoreditch County Court 7 April 2011 Hat tip to September's Legal Action 'Recent Developments in Housing Law' for this County Court case, and Daniel Fitzpatrick at Hodge Jones & Allen. Not a very significant case...
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...
Misrepresenting law on squatting: Draft letter
Things have moved on about the idea of a letter from housing lawyers. A letter has been prepared for housing lawyers and law academics to sign and arrangements are under way for getting it publicity. I'm sending the text of the letter to everyone who...
On legal aid and letters pages: bits from last week
Some bits and pieces from the last week that didn't quite fit in elsewhere. First - developments in the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill. At the committee stage a large number of amendments were tabled, both by the Government and by the...