Pile v Pile (2022) EWHC 2036 (Ch) The High Court confirms that Procter v Procter (2022) EWHC 1202 (Ch) is authority for the proposition that it is not a breach of trust for one joint tenant to give notice to quit on the joint tenancy, even where this is done...
Homelessness updates
Abdikadir v London Borough of Ealing (2022) EWCA Civ 979 Where an offer of out of borough accommodation had been made and refused, and a discharge of duty upheld on review, did the council's failure to notify the other council under section 208(2) Housing...
Rent Repayment Orders in the Upper Tribunal
A few Upper Tribunal appeals on rent repayment orders, in particular on the level of award, conduct and mitigating factors. Aytan & Ors v Moore & Ors (HOUSING - RENT REPAYMENT ORDER) (2022) UKUT 27 (LC) We're late to this one from January 2022, but...
Rabbit holes to fall down
In case you are in need of distraction from the heat/the tory leadership contest/getting your first, second or third bout of covid/the general state of all things, may I present a small collection of judgments at which to rubberneck. None seem massively...
Affordability and intentional homelessness – assessments and guidance
Baptie v The Royal Borough of Kingston Upon Thames (2022) EWCA Civ 888 This was a second appeal, brought by RBKT from a s.204 appeal that had overturned their decision that Ms Baptie was intentionally homeless from a housing association property due to rent...
U definitely can’t do this.
Hammad & Hammad v Paolini. County Court at Clerkenwell & Shoreditch. 27 June 2022 (We've seen a note of judgment) Yes, even while large chunks of the government resign and (as of this point in the evening of 5 July, it looks likely that Carrie...
Everyone in – Lambeth lacking a policy
R(Cort) v London Borough of Lambeth (2022) EWHC 1085 (Admin) While in some ways this is a decision on an historic context (hopefully), there is a lot in this judgment on local authority approaches to housing in a public health emergency to consider. This was...
We don’t need no tariffs
Khan v Mehmood (2022) EWCA Civ 791 (Housing Law Practitioners Association intervening) This was, it has to be said, in part a rather odd appeal to the Court of Appeal. The background was a rent arrears possession claim by Ms Khan and a defence and disrepair...
The Trecarrell Conundrum revisited
Byrne v Harwood-Delgardo. Luton County Court. 21 June 2022. (Copy of Judgment) In my comments to our post on the Court of Appeal judgment in Trecarrell House Limited v Rouncefield (2020) EWCA Civ 760, I pointed out that the judgment only addressed late...
Not incidental enough
Mayor and Burgesses of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets v Khan (2022) EWCA Civ 831 A Court of Appeal judgment on whether a freeholder, LB Tower Hamlets, was entitled to contractual legal costs under the lease, following a money claim for unpaid service...
Management transfers and public functions: R(TRX) v Network Homes
This judicial review of R(TRX) v Network Homes (2022) EWHC 456 (Admin) CO/3538/2021 is a useful restatement of the principles which apply in determining when decisions of Private Registered Providers of social housing (Housing Associations) can be judicially...
Unlawful eviction – but landlord not liable
Brem v Murray & Marchant (2022) EWHC 1479 (QB) An appeal judgment from a first instance judgment on a claim for unlawful eviction, which deals with the landlord's liability for the unlawful eviction that had taken place. Mr Brem ran a hairdressing salon....