You may recall that, on August 3, 2011, the Government launched a consultation paper on its proposals to introduce a “mandatory power of possession” against tenants who are responsible for acts of anti-social behaviour. On August 15, 2011, following the...
Cohabitant succession
All there is at the moment is a Lawtel note of Amicus Horizon v Mabott and Brand and no neutral citation. It concerns whether Mr Brand was living with Ms Mabott as her husband for the purposes of succcession to Ms Mabott's tenancy: s 17(4), Housing Act...
Disability and possession
This is a short note of O'Connell v Viridian Housing [2012] EWHC 1389 (QB) - it's short because it goes nowhere really and the facts were not exactly great. Ms O'Connell is partially sighted and suffers from depression. She had occupied supported housing...
Housing and Human Rights Round-up Part II
Three more housing-related cases have been decided recently by the ECHR: Bjedov v Croatia (29/5/12) Mrs Bjedov was granted a joint tenancy of a 'specially protected' flat in Zadar, Croatia in 1975 and she became the sole tenant after the death of her husband...
The Unbeatable Litigant in Person*
Birmingham City Council v Richard Lloyd (2012) CA Civ 23 May 2012 (On Lawtel but not on BAILLI) A short note on this hearing as it is a situation which is likely to become far more common. Birmingham Claimant had lost a claim for possession against L. They...
Housing and Human Rights Round-Up
Two interesting cases have been delivered by the ECHR in the last few weeks: Mago and others v Bosnia-Herzegovina and Yordanova and others v Bulgaria. Mago The applicants in Mago held tenancies for life of flats within Bosnia-Herzegovina (with the exception...
Barking and Dagenham LBC v Bakare; too little too late
Just a brief note on this. As yet no transcript. This is another example of a fairly robust antisocial behaviour decision being upheld on appeal and it reinforces the well established principle that an appellant who is essentially attacking the discretion of...
The tenant is dead, long live the tenant
Our attention was drawn to a decision in the Medway County Court, presumably because it considered a proportionality defence. I'm not sure there's much to see there — one of the team said that he was not "remotely excited about it". But it caught my...
Proportionality, Section 21 and starter tenancies
Another RSL 'starter tenancy' and s.21 case, albeit one that marginally pre-dated West Kent HA v Haycraft, is The Riverside Group Limited - v – Sharon Thomas [2012] EWHC 169 (QB) 2 March 2012 (Manchester District Registry) [Not on Bailii. We've seen a...
The cost of criminalising trespass
The Government's proposal to criminalise trespass to residential property, contained in LASPO at clause 136, is due to be considered at report stage in the House of Lords tomorrow (Tuesday 20 March). The Government's estimate of additional costs arising from...
Proportionality and bankruptcy: On fish and terrapins
One question (of the many) arising from the watershed that is represented in English and Welsh law by Pinnock is just how far it extends. We hope to have a Court of Appeal decision on private landlords and the application of proportionality soonish. But...
Monk, ECHR and Article 8
Dixon v UK has now reached a conclusion in the ECHR with an Order made on 21/2/12 removing the case from the lists under Art 37 (1)(c) of the Convention. This Order is the Court's response to a unilateral declaration made by the UK government on 8/11/11...