[Update. 5 Feb 2014. The important Judgment of HHJ Mackie QC that led to the order below is now on Bailii. See this post.] A few days ago, I posted an order made by HHJ Mackie QC in the Mercantile Court in July 2013 in relation to Mr Dharam Prakash Ghopee. I...
No reason for reasons redux
Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council v Khan [2014] EWCA Civ 41 A rather odd second appeal from a s.204 appeal decision. At issue was whether the Council's review officer should take into account "the homeless person's state of knowledge about the Council's...
Bedrooms in Wales
Another First Tier Tribunal bedroom tax appeal decision, this time from Aberystwyth. The Decision Notice is here (and on the FTT decisions page). No statement of reasons yet, but the decision notice gives an outline. The Claimant lived in what was classed as...
Impossible Preference: Excluding the homeless from housing lists
R (Jakimaviciute) v LB Hammersmith and Fulham [2013] EWHC 4372 (Admin) [Not generally available yet. I've seen a transcript] This judicial review permission hearing raises very significant issues for post Localism Act Council allocation policies. The central...
Upper Tribunal on bedrooms
There has been some excited talk about an Upper Tribunal decision on a Local Housing Allowance appeal which apparently offered a definition of 'bedroom'. Obviously, as an Upper Tribunal decision, this would be binding on First Tier Tribunals, even though...
Imported words.
The Greeks have a word for it, and if they don't the Germans can probably knock one together. On the menu for today are hubris, nemesis, Schadenfreude and harmatia. Harmatia Our friends 'Charles Henry', the not-solicitors, appear to be determined to destroy...
‘We are the world’- Brent LBC
One test for establishing succession to a secure tenancy by a gay partner (not being a civil partner) has been established since Nutting v Southern Housing Group Ltd [2004] EWHC 2982 (Ch). This test is "that the relationship must be openly and unequivocally...
HB and Exempt accommodation: unreasonably high rent
I admit that SS v Birmingham CC [2013] UKUT 418 (AAC) has been on my to do list for a while and that, possibly, the main reason for finding the time to write it up is because I'm on a two hour strike (#fairpayinHE). But, it is a really quite important case...
It’s the way that you use it.
I've just received a new First Tier Tribunal bedroom tax decision from Rochdale. This one is interesting because it is the first that I have seen based solely on the tenant's use of the disputed room. The statement of reasons is here (and now on the FTT...
Mr Ghopee and Barons Finance – Important for any County Court proceedings
[Update 3 February 2014. A new order has been made in the Mercantile Court. Very important for anyone dealing with or knowing of proceedings by Mr Ghopee under any company name.] We have previously had cause to examine the activities of Mr Dharam Prakash...
Confederacy of Dunces.
I've been watching the slow motion catastrophe that is 'Rent 2 Rent' [sic] for a while, as have other NL writers. Despite the high profile collapse of the poster boy and cheerleader, Unidaplace, last autumn, owing many thousands (and the simultaneous...
“Charles Henry & Co” & “Legal Action”
[Update 24 August 2014. For an intriguing update on Charles Henry and Legal Action, see here.] Anyone who encounters 'Charles Henry & Co' or 'Legal Action' (Not to be confused with Legal Action Group!) in the course of litigation, or has an offer to act...