Gell v 32 St John's Road (Eastbourne) Management Company Ltd (2021) EWCA Civ 789 This is one of those cases where the Court of Appeal says "It is perhaps surprising that in the 35 years since the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 was enacted the effect on a claim...
Service charge miscellany
Aster Communities v Kerry Chapman & Ors (2021) EWCA Civ 660 The Court of Appeal dsimissed Aster's appeal from the Upper Tribunal and upheld the UT's reasoning on setting conditions on Aster's application for dispensation from section 20 consultation...
Dispensing with section 20 – requirements on landlord
Aster Communities v Chapman & Ors (LANDLORD AND TENANT : SERVICE CHARGES) (2020) UKUT 177 (LC) A quick note on this one. Where a landlord is looking to do works that would cost residential leaseholders more than £250 each under the service charge, they...
Service charges – too late and too varied
A couple of Upper Tribunal appeal decisions on service charge issues, with the second of particular significance. Cookson v Assethold Ltd (LANDLORD AND TENANT - SERVICE CHARGES) (2020) UKUT 115 (LC) An appeal on section 20B Landlord and Tenant Act 1985. In...
Certainty of delivery of notices – Upper Tribunal on the burden of proof
38/41 CHG Residents Company Limited v Hyslop (LANDLORD AND TENANT - SERVICE CHARGES) (2020) UKUT 21 (LC) A quick note on a Upper Tribunal (LC) appeal concerning whether services charge demands had been delivered. At first instance, the FTT had reached a...
Gimme Gimme Gimme
Curo Places Ltd v Pimlett (LANDLORD AND TENANT – service charges – tenancy agreement of a bungalow in a sheltered housing scheme) (2019) UKUT 130 (LC) Another Upper Tribunal case on a landlord adding additional services and charges to assured tenancy...
Don’t go changing…
Wilcock v The Guinness Partnership Ltd (2019) UKUT 146 (LC). This is an Upper Tribunal appeal on the meaning of 'variable service charge'. Mr W had an assured shorthold tenancy of a flat from Guinness. The tenancy agreement provided that the landlord would...
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...
When service charges become indisputable
Marlborough Park Services Ltd v Micha Leitner (2018) UKUT 230 (LC) Tenants/Leaseholders can seek a determination of the payability and reasonableness of service charges under s.27A Landlord and Tenant Act 1985. It has been something of a question about how...
The costs of dangerous cladding – leaseholders position
First Tier Tribunal LON/00AH/LSC/2017/0435 - Firstport Property Services Ltd v various leaseholders of Citiscape We previously saw the Salford decision on the costs of a 'waking watch' in a tower with 'Grenfell' style cladding, but this was the first, keenly...
Fire Safety – Who Pays?
Since the extent of the issues with the cladding to blocks of flats became clear after Grenfell, and it became clear that private blocks as well as social were affected, we have been waiting for the beginning of the legal fall out over who was to pay for...
Incurred and incurred again
Under section 20B(1) Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, a service charge must be demanded of the tenant within 18 months of the relevant cost having been incurred by the landlord. But what happens when there is a head landlord demanding a charge from an...