Aster Communities Ltd (formerly Flourish homes Ltd) v Akerman-Livingstone [2014] EWCA Civ 1081 (30 July 2014) is an extraordinary decision that will – if allowed to stand – have a significant impact on the day-to-day management of possession claims in the...
Spencer v Taylor- Some Analysis
We have already reported briefly on the Supreme Court decision to refuse permission to appeal to the tenant in the case of a Spencer v Taylor on the grounds that no new points of law were raised. As the solicitor acting for the landlord in the Supreme Court...
Article 8 and the Private Sector-the Court of Appeal Speaks
In McDonald v McDonald & Anor [2014] EWCA Civ 1049, the Defendant held an assured shorthold tenancy of a property in Witney, Oxfordshire. The tenancy was granted by Ms McD's parents in breach of the terms and conditions of a mortgage agreement with...
Extremely loud and incredibly close
This is about loud and disturbing noises. I was going to write up Coventry & Ors v Lawrence & Anor [2014] UKSC 13 when it came out in February, given that it made some significant changes to common law nuisance claims. But it was 249 paragraphs and...
More on post possession order disrepair counterclaims
This is an issue we’ve looked at before, bringing a disrepair counterclaim after a possession order has been made. Now the Birmingham County Court has dealt with the issue on an appeal from the decision of a District Judge. Midland Heart Ltd v Idawah...
The point of having policies….
A post on a County Court case, one well worth looking at for the application of public law principles, the Equality Act and reasonableness. I'm working from a note of judgment, so any quotes should be taken as being from a note, rather than a transcript....
Reforming a bad policy, badly.
There has been a lot of noise about the Lib Dem's change of position/u turn on the bedroom tax announced on Wednesday. Out of that noise, it has been possible to glean a little detail about what Nick Clegg, Danny Alexander and the Lib Dem leadership are...
My Left Shin
In years to come, we may all wonder what all the fuss was about, but Tuesday's judgement in R (Public Law Project) v the Secretary of State for Justice has provided some relief and not a little amusement to legal aid practitioners girding themselves for yet...
‘We told you so’ corner
The DWP has very belatedly issued the interim review of the bedroom tax (under occupation penalty, removal of the spare room subsidy, whatever). The document can be found here, based on a survey for the period to April/Nov 2013. And the results are......
Mortgage possession defences
I can distinctly remember my university lectures on mortgages. Not the content - I don't think I ever really understood that - but the "gap" that existed (and still exists) between the popular understanding of what a mortgage is and what, in law, it amounts...
The UT Repays Again
Fallon v Wilson & Ors [2014] UKUT 0300 (LC) The Upper Tribunal has again found itself considering the issue of Rent Repayment Orders and has provided some further enlightenment on its position after the case of Parker v Waller (which we wrote about...
Historic Neglect
Daejan Properties Ltd v Griffin & Anor [2014] UKUT 206 (LC) is not, perhaps, the most riveting of Upper Tribunal appeals on service charges, but it does have some useful statements and reminders along the way. This concerned a 3 storey Victorian...