This is another in what turns out to be an occasional series of unregulated, unqualified 'Evictions R Us' outfits making catastrophic errors and costing their clients large amounts of money. You may recall Kassam v Gill & Gill, featuring 'Remove a...
HHSRS Review
A company called RHE Global in Carmarthenshire has been appointed by MHCLG to conduct a review of the HHSRS. They want responses by 24th February to an online questionnaire (https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/5KBYJDD) particularly from tenants and those...
How many reviews?
In R(B) v Redbridge LBC [2019] EWHC 250 (Admin), Jeremy Johnson QC, sitting as a Deputy Judge, was required to adjudicate on what is, as far as I am concerned, a really important point of practice, given the nature and continuing obligations of suitability...
Supreme Court to consider remedies in bedroom tax cases
We noted here the Court of Appeal decision in Carmichael v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions [2018] EWCA Civ 548. In very summary terms, the Supreme Court decided in an earlier case that the application of the "social sector size criteria" / "bedroom...
Jurisdiction: s. 204 appeals
Adesotu v Lewisham LBC Case No E40CL183, a decision of HHJ Luba on preliminary issues handed down on 8th February 2019, is so going to the Court of Appeal that the judge (having been satisfied that Ms Adesotu and her household would continue to be...
Nominations agreements and the Equality Act
I was excited to see R(Z) v Hackney LBC & Agudas Israel HA (2019) EWHC 139 (Admin), because it is the first case in which the thorny issue of "nomination" rights and, potentially, the concept of a "true void" have arisen for full decision by a court of...
Going off Half Breached
Toms v Ruberry (2019) EWCA Civ 128 This case deals with the lease of a public house. It has passed through a number of different landlords and tenants but the current landlord is Mr Toms and the tenant, Ms Ruberry. The lease contains a range of provisions...
Possession and the PSED
In Powell v Dacorum BC (2019) EWCA Civ 29 and Forward v Aldwyck Housing Group Ltd (2019) EWHC 24 (QB), the question of the effect of the public sector equality duty under s. 149, Equality Act 2010, on possession proceedings where there had been drugs...
Hillingdon’s 10 year rule (Again)
As a socio-legal academic, I just love it when a court has to deal with "the empirical evidence" (and, as an occasional qualitative researcher, also love it when quals are regarded as superior to quants). In R(TW)(No 2) v Hillingdon LBC (2019) EWHC 157...
Tenure is not a medical matter
In Kannan v Newham LBC (2019) EWCA Civ 57, Lewison LJ once again (after Lomax - our note) has considered the effect of the public sector equality duty on a review, this time concerning suitability. Mr Kannan and his household had lived in "temporary"...
Alterations, disability and equality
Smailes & Poyner-Smailes v Clewer Court Residents Ltd, Cardiff County Court 30 January 2019 (Unreported but copy of judgment is here). Although only a County Court (Circuit Judge) decision, this is an interesting and potentially significant case on the...
Do not put aside the set aside, or delay 6 months to seek relief
Gibbs v Lakeside Developments Ltd (2018) EWCA Civ 2874 Oh dear... Behind the key point in this case lies a history of unfortunate things. But what fell to be decided by the court of appeal is whether, in a leasehold forfeiture case, the lessee could succeed...