Following on from yesterday's post by J on the CMA report (with its approach to the 'AST Trap') and from someone helpfully pointing out something that should have been completely obvious to me in the first place, I've re-written my old post on the leasehold...
No relief and unbalanced windfalls
Timbo v London Borough Of Lambeth (2019) EWHC 1396 (Ch) This is another in our occasional series of cases where residential leaseholders have had their leases forfeited and not obtained relief from forfeiture. (For other examples, see here, and here). As...
Do not put aside the set aside, or delay 6 months to seek relief
Gibbs v Lakeside Developments Ltd (2018) EWCA Civ 2874 Oh dear... Behind the key point in this case lies a history of unfortunate things. But what fell to be decided by the court of appeal is whether, in a leasehold forfeiture case, the lessee could succeed...
Hiatus brief updates (and job ad)
Quick couple of cases to note (no analysis), a bit of news and a job ad. Two linked appeals on out of borough/out of London Homelessness review decisions - Alibkhiet v London Borough of Brent v City of Westminster (2018) EWCA Civ 2742 Upper Tribunal (Lands...
Service charge claims – paying trial fees and concurrent jurisdiction
Hyslop v 38/41 CHG Residents Company Ltd QBD 05/11/2018 (not on Bailii. Lawtel note of extempore judgment) CHG were the freeholder of a property with various leasehold flats. The FTT had determined that Ms Hyslop and other leaseholders owed CHG certain...
Catching up – forfeiture & AST regulations
A couple of catch-up/postscript notes. We looked at Cheerupmate2 Ltd v Calce (2017) UKUT 377 (TCC) before - our report here - the landlord's forfeiture was held to be invalid and premature. Well, Cheerupmate2 Ltd appealed to the Court of Appeal. Cheerupmate2...
Erratum and forthcoming consultation
A couple of notes. First, an erratum. In yesterday's post on long leases as ASTs, I originally suggested that once a leaseholder had sublet the whole, assured status was lost and could not be revived. On prompting, I concluded that this was wrong. In fact,...
Premature forfeiture
A couple of quick notes on forfeiture of leases. Cheerupmate2 Ltd v Calce (2017) UKUT 377 (TCC) Forfeiture for ground rent arrears was not valid because: a) The wrong notice under s.166 Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002 had been served. The notice was...
Short term lets, long term consequences
A couple of county court cases on Airbnb/short let use by leaseholders. One was reported in the newspapers, the other has not been reported anywhere before. Both show the potentially serious consequences of leaseholders letting out on short lets, where lease...
Ending flexible tenancies – a reminder
We don't usually (indeed ever) repost previous material on NL. But I'm making an exception for this one, because I think it is timely. Flexible tenancies have been in existence for a while in some boroughs and I would expect that it is round about now that...
And you find that power where?
By s.168, Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002, a landlord may not serve a notice under s.146, Law of Property Act 1925, or otherwise exercise a right of re-entry (i.e. forfeiture) in respect of a breach of a covenant (other than one to pay rent - which...
Remedying immoral use
Patel v K&J Restaurants [2010] EWCA Civ 1211 deals with a number of interesting questions concerning relief from forfeiture. Although the lease in question (of a restaurant and residential flats) fell within the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954, the case has...