Timothy Taylor Ltd v Mayfair House Corporation & Anor [2016] EWHC 1075 (Ch) I'm very late with this one - been in the 'to do' pile for ages. In mitigation, it is a commercial property case, but has interesting elements on the way in which building works...
Property Guardians & tangled webs (Camelot. Again)
There is a bit of a thing unfolding in Bristol involving property guardians, Bristol City Council and Camelot, one of the larger property guardian firms, upon whom we have had cause to remark upon several times in the past. Several former nursing homes,...
Human Rights Round-Up
A selection box of ECtHR cases from the last few months: Vrzić v Croatia 12/7/2016 The applicants were the owners of a property in Croatia. In early 2009, they secured finance from a private company and their property was used as collateral. The applicants...
Almshouses, tenancies and Article 14
This post is my Christmas gift to land law students everywhere in the UK. It is a discussion of the very important Court of Appeal decision in Watts v Stewart [2016] EWCA Civ 1247, which concerned whether charitable providers of accommodation (in this case,...
A right without rights?
Just a quick note on an interesting point that came up for decision in Plant, R (on the application of) v Lambeth London Borough Council [2016] EWHC 3324 (Admin) This was a judicial review of Lambeth's decision (after a 'reconsultation' after Lambeth lost a...
We’re going to need another canto – 2016 roundup
"We to the place have come, where I have told thee Thou shalt behold the people dolorous Who have foregone the good of intellect." (canto 3) Midway between Christmas and new year, I found myself, fat and indolent, on the sofa, contemplating a year-end post....
Suspense surrounds suspended possession orders
Ever since Cardiff City Council v Lee [2016] EWCA Civ 1034 (our note), there has been a ferment and a gnashing of teeth amongst landlords, particularly social landlords, about the best way to deal with the 'new' requirement under CPR 83(2) to make an...
AirbnBreach – developments…
Things are hotting up on the Airbnb front. We've noted breach of lease issues here and here. Then there has been the big issue of massive and widespread breaches of the Greater London 'no short letting of whole for more than 90 days per calendar year without...
Nearly a passage to India
Thanks to Garden Court and Justine Compton for their note of this case. CM v Westminster CC. County Court at Central London. 1 December 2016 This was a s.204 appeal of Westminster CC's decision, upheld on review, that Ms CM had accommodation available to...
Begging and questions
First the begging - or at least a request - though not on our own behalf. As you all know, the NL team all work on the blog for free. We do it because we all really enjoy reading, writing and thinking about housing law and we’re grateful (and still a bit...
Don’t try this at home
Gibson v Douglas & Anor [2016] EWCA Civ 1266 In which the court of appeal almost but not quite consider the notice requirements for licencees excluded from the Protection from Eviction Act 1977 Mr G had been living at Mrs D's property, which she also...
Rather too certain to be uncertain
Leeds City Council v Broadley [2016] EWCA Civ 1213 This was Leeds' second appeal of a Valuation Tribunal decision on council tax liability. We covered the first High Court appeal here. Full disclosure, I acted for the intervener in this second appeal, the...