Happy new year to all who read, comment on or write for Nearly Legal! This is usually a moment to take stock of the past year and look forward to the next, but I'm feeling far too lazy to do it properly. Luckily, the DCLG have made the task easier by...
Policy, possession and proportionality
Denry Okpor v London Borough of Lewisham, Bromley County Court 25 October 2011 [Transcript not publicly available] This was a rolled up permission to appeal and appeal hearing (on which more later) for appeal to a Circuit Judge from a possession order made...
Estoppel and s.2 – will we find out?
In the Summer Dave and David Smith posted about the case of Kinnear v Whittaker in the High Court. Bean J allowed an appeal against the summary disposal of a possession claim where the defendant had raised proprietary estoppel as a defence. This interesting...
How Gratuitous is Your Licence
Potter v Dyer [2011] EWCA Civ 1417 This is another rather sad and complex case with a fairly convoluted set of facts. Mr & Mrs Potter (senior) acquired a farm and farmhouse as a single unit in 1947. In 1966 they let the whole of the farm and farmhouse to...
Home, realistically and objectively
London Borough of Islington v Boyle & Anor [2011] EWCA Civ 1450 This rather sad case was Islington's appeal on the issue of whether Ms Boyle was occupying the flat she had under a secure tenancy as her 'sole or principal home'. It is a highly significant...
Money can’t buy you everything
Sun Street Properties Ltd v Persons Unknown [2011] EWHC (Ch), [2011] All ER (D) 72 (Dec) [no transcript available yet] Or, what the hell is going on about Occupy/Bank of Ideas and the property owned by Union Bank of Switzerland. As you probably noticed, on...
Sometimes Turning Up Is Optional
Hardy & Anor v Haselden & Ors [2011] EWCA Civ 1387 Excuse the (slightly flippant) title which is a backhanded reference to a recent post by NL. This is actually a slightly sad case. It is also slightly convoluted set of facts so you will have to bear...
Until the Abbott be deposed: uncertain terms
Berrisford v Mexfield Housing Co-operative Ltd (Rev 1) [2011] UKSC 32 What happens to a lease for an uncertain term? Or a tenancy that ends on some specified event, whose date is not known and which may or may not happen? Can either the tenant or the...
Proportionality. A precis on ‘summary’
Holmes v Westminster City Council [2011] EWHC 2857 (QB) An interesting appeal from a summary possession order on the issue of consideration of proportionality. While the outcome is not, perhaps, a surprise, some of the arguments are. Plus this is an example...
Water Under the Bridge
Rochdale Borough Council v Dixon [2011] EWCA Civ 1173 Apologies for the late delivery of this case note which has been held up by a blizzard (of work rather than the kind afflicting the Eastern USA). This case is somewhat complicated and involved so you will...
Forward to the 18th Century!
The Coalition's proposed legislation this week has a marvellously retro feel to it. Sniff the air. Through the whiff of horse dung and open sewers, you can tell we are back in the days of Queen Anne and not solely because the lawfulness of the catholicity of...
No, that is your elbow
In which we discover what happens when an RSL serves a notice confirming an assured tenancy after serving a s.21 notice on an assured shorthold tenant. Saxon Weald Homes Ltd v Chadwick [2011] EWCA Civ 1202 Mr Chadwick had been given an AST by Saxon...