London Borough of Tower Hamlets v Lessees of Brewster House and Malting House (2024) UKUT 193 (LC) (11 July 2024) This was an appeal to the Upper Tribunal on whether a service charge for major works to remedy structural defects to two blocks of flats was...
I, for one, welcome our new housing minister overlords*
And there we are, we have two (so far) new housing ministers. But, for once, and as opposed to the 16 (16! Five in the last two years!) between 2010 and 2024, it isn't because their predecessor was useless/promoted/resigned for unlawfully doing things for...
Section 188(1) accommodation, suitability and mandatory orders
We are very grateful to Alice Irving of Doughty Street Chambers for the following note of a judgment in the Administrative Court on an application for interim relief. It is a very interesting case not only on section 188(1) accommodation but also on...
Leasehold miscellaneous
A few quick notes on various leasehold related cases. Howe Properties (NE) Ltd v Accent Housing Ltd (2024) EWCA Civ 297 Accent Housing levied a management fee on leaseholders which was at flat rate and a) differed by tenure (freehold and assured tenancies...
Different treatment for other boroughs – discriminatory policy
AK, R (On the Application Of) v Westminster City Council (2024) EWHC 769 (Admin) This was a judicial review of Westminster's Allocation policy as it applied to 'reciprocal transfers' between another borough and Westminster. As background: The Claimant lives...
Ch-ch-ch-changes
Manifesto series (in order of publication) Conservative Lib Dem Green Labour Labour I'm deputising for J on the last of the manifesto posts, and (because it was the last published) it is Labour's. As before, I'm not going to be commenting on the...
This land is our land
Manifesto series (in order of publication) Conservative Lib Dem Green Labour Greens I want to like the Greens. I really do. But I can’t shake the concern that they are fundamentally opposed to development on the scale needed to address our national problems...
The Land Song*
Manifesto series (in order of publication) Conservative Lib Dem Green Labour Lib Dems What do the Liberal Democrats offer us? At a purely personal level, I’ve been quite impressed with the Liberal Democrats over the past few years. Daisy Cooper has been very...
I wanna be elected: Conservative edition
Manifesto series (in order of publication) Conservative Lib Dem Green Labour Conservatives It's fashionable to treat elections with a weary, nay affected, cynicism and a refrain of “they’re all as bad as each other”. That, frankly, is nonsense. And no-where...
Homelessness eligibility and the Withdrawal Agreement – two (contradictory) appeals
C v Oldham Council. (2024) EWCC 1 (Judgment can be found here) Hynek v LB Islington. Central London County Court 24 May 2024 (copy of judgment) These are two s.204 appeals which address the effect of the Withdrawal Agreement (The Agreement of the Withdrawal...
Suitability, reports in Family proceedings, and termination of existing accommodation
Querino v Cambridge City Council (Rev1) (2024) EWCA Civ 314 We're a bit late to this one. The backlog is growing as I've had other things to do, but here it is. This was a second appeal to the court of appeal from a s.204 appeal of a decision on suitability...
Shared Ownership, assured shorthold and long leases. The mess continues.
Sovereign Network Homes v Ms Vanessa East, Claim Number H01W1247 (13 May 2024, Central London County Court). Thanks to Landmark Chambers for their note on this case. This was a county court appeal of a first instance decision to allow an application to...