Category: housing

Varying a possession order from discretionary to mandatory ground – Nearly Legal

Posted December 11th, 2023 in appeals, county courts, firearms, housing, landlord & tenant, news, repossession by tracey

‘Poplar HARCA v Kerr. Central London County Court 26 July 2023. This was a county court appeal to a circuit judge on the issue of whether a pre-existing suspended possession order, made on a discretionary ground, could be varied on the application of the landlord to an outright order on a mandatory ground. As ever with County Court appeals, not binding precedent, but may be persuasive.’

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Nearly Legal, 10th December 2023

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

Housing Ombudsman issues report setting out key learning and guidance on service charges – Local Government Lawyer

Posted December 8th, 2023 in housing, landlord & tenant, local government, news, ombudsmen, service charges by michael

‘The Housing Ombudsman has provided updated guidance on the “often contentious” area of service charges in its latest Insight report.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 7th December 2023

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Tenants left ‘vulnerable’ over £10k unlawful fees – BBC News

Posted December 6th, 2023 in fees, housing, landlord & tenant, news by sally

‘A tenant said she and her family were left feeling “really vulnerable” after being charged unlawful fees totalling more than £10,000.’

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BBC News, 6th December 2023

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Section 21 and Gas Safety – post start of tenancy installations – Nearly Legal

Posted December 6th, 2023 in health & safety, housing, landlord & tenant, news, repairs, repossession by sally

‘The issue of gas safety certificates has been revisited again in Van-Herpen v Green & Green (2023) County Court at Hastings, 4 December 2023, in which I acted for the Defendants. This time, the questions for the court were whether a Building Regulations Compliance Certificate (“BRCC”) from the installation of a boiler or a Gas Safety Certificate (“GSC”) arising out of a plumber’s visit some two months later had to be served for the section 21 notice to be valid.’

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Nearly Legal, 5th December 2023

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

Assistant Coroner finds failings by social landlord and council in part caused death of epileptic woman who fell from her balcony – Local Government Lawyer

Posted December 5th, 2023 in disabled persons, housing, inquests, local government, news by sally

‘An inquest into the death of a 39-year-old woman, who fell from the balcony of her third floor flat in west London after an epileptic seizure, has found that the failure of the local housing authority and a housing association to provide her with safe accommodation was a cause of her death.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 4th December 2023

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Saying you are broke isn’t enough to avoid a duty – suitable accommodation and resources – Nearly Legal

Posted December 4th, 2023 in appeals, budgets, housing, landlord & tenant, local government, news, statutory duty by tracey

‘Imam, R (on the application of) v London Borough of Croydon (2023) UKSC 45. This is the long awaited Supreme Court decision in Imam v Croydon on what conditions a court should have regard to in deciding whether to make a mandatory order that the local authority comply with its section 193(2) Housing Act 1996 duty to provide suitable accommodation. At first instance, Croydon have avoided a mandatory order, despite Ms Imam having been in what was acknowledged to be unsuitable accommodation for what was then 5 years, in part on the basis of a fairly general assertion that LB Croydon had no suitable houses and no money (our note here). This was reversed by the Court of Appeal (our note here), which held that a pleading of lack of resources would have to be demonstrated in detail, with evidence of steps taken, before a court would accept this as a reason not to make a mandatory order.’

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Nearly Legal, 3rd December 2023

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

Court awards £50,000 in damages against council over home that was unfit for human habitation – Local Government Lawyer

Posted December 4th, 2023 in damages, duty of care, housing, landlord & tenant, local government, news, repairs by tracey

‘A judge at Central London County Court has awarded a claimant more than £50,000 in damages after her council property was found to be unfit for human habitation.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 4th December 2023

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Mayor of London’s decision to reject plan for Las Vegas-style giant sphere to be reviewed – The Independent

Posted December 4th, 2023 in government departments, housing, local government, London, news, nuisance, planning by tracey

‘London Mayor Sadiq Khan‘s decision to reject planning permission for a huge Las Vegas-style entertainment venue is to be reviewed by ministers. The housing secretary Michael Gove has opted to use his powers to “call in” the rejection of the 21,000-capacity, 300ft-tall MSG sphere to decide whether it should stand.’

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The Independent, 3rd December 2023

Source: www.independent.co.uk

A knotty problem: Churchill v Merthyr Tydfil Council – Local Government Lawyer

Posted December 1st, 2023 in appeals, civil procedure rules, dispute resolution, housing, local government, news, nuisance, stay of proceedings by tracey

‘The Court of Appeal has handed down its ruling in a test case on compulsory ADR. Elizabeth England analyses the judgment.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 29th November 2023

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Newham v Chaplair: the lessons to be learned – Local Government Lawyer

Posted December 1st, 2023 in building law, fines, fire, health & safety, housing, landlord & tenant, local government, news, repairs, sentencing by tracey

‘Archie Maddan explains what was involved in the first successful prosecution of a tower block owner for failure to remove flammable cladding.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 30th November 2023

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Leasehold ban not included in housing reform law – BBC News

Posted December 1st, 2023 in bills, housing, landlord & tenant, leases, news by tracey

‘The UK government’s proposed ban on the sale of new leasehold houses has not been included in its bill to reform housing rights.’

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BBC News, 30th November 2023

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Deputy High Court judge orders London borough to provide accommodation pending completion of review of homelessness decision – Local Government Lawyer

Posted November 30th, 2023 in homelessness, housing, judicial review, local government, mental health, news by sally

‘The Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea acted unfairly in rejecting a request for accommodation by a man with mental health problems pending the outcome of his statutory review request of the defendant council’s earlier decision that he was not homeless, the High Court has found.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 30th November 2023

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Landlords of crowded London flat that caught fire plead guilty to criminal charges – The Guardian

Posted November 29th, 2023 in accidents, confiscation, fire, houses in multiple occupation, housing, landlord & tenant, news, proceeds of crime by sally

‘The landlords of a dangerously overcrowded east London flat that suffered a deadly fire in March have pleaded guilty to a total of nine criminal charges.’

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The Guardian, 28th November 2023

Source: www.theguardian.com

Homelessness – Local Government Law

Posted November 29th, 2023 in appeals, homelessness, housing, local government, news, statutory duty, Supreme Court by sally

‘The central issue before the Supreme Court is R (Imam) v London Borough of Croydon (2023) UKSC 45, in which Judgment was given on 28 November 2023, was whether, and, if so, in what way, a local authority’s lack of financial or other resources should be taken into consideration when a Court is deciding whether to grant a Mandatory Order against the authority in order to enforce its undoubted statutory duty (paragraph 37) towards a homeless individual under Section 193(2) of the Housing Act 1996.’

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Local Government Law, 29th November 2023

Source: local-government-law.11kbw.com

Developer who ignored listed building notice hit with £80k fine – Local Government Lawyer

Posted November 22nd, 2023 in building law, enforcement notices, fines, housing, local government, news, planning by sally

‘A developer who neglected a listed mansion has been found guilty of ignoring a listed building notice for five years following a prosecution brought by Liverpool City Council.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 21st November 2023

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Competition watchdog seeks views on use of landbanks and how planning rules affect competition – Local Government Lawyer

Posted November 22nd, 2023 in competition, consultations, housing, local government, news, ombudsmen by sally

‘The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has published two ‘working papers’ seeking feedback on its assessment of the use of landbanks, and how planning rules concerning zoning, consultations and local plan processes may be impacting competition and how new homes are delivered.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 21st November 2023

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Tales from the County Courts – housing conditions quantum, proof of notice of defects, and section 21 and gas safety certificates again – Nearly Legal

Posted November 20th, 2023 in county courts, damages, housing, landlord & tenant, local government, news, repairs, repossession by tracey

Three county court cases – all first instance judgments and non-binding, but each of interest, including the first two fitness for human habitation decisions that have come our way and a complicating decision on gas safety certificates and section 21 notices.

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Nearly Legal, 19th November 2023

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

Matthew Smith on Service Charges: Section 27A LTA 1985 & Estoppel by Convention – Park Square Barristers

Posted November 16th, 2023 in chambers articles, estoppel, housing, landlord & tenant, leases, news by sally

‘The recent case of Lacy v Homeselect Finance [2023] UKUT 231 (LC) considered a number of historic service charge issues between a long-leaseholder and a freeholder of a flat in Torquay. A particular point of note is the decision regarding admissions and estoppel.’

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Park Square Barristers, 11th October 2023

Source: www.parksquarebarristers.co.uk

Explaining Churchill v Merthyr Tydfil County – Local Government Lawyer

Posted November 13th, 2023 in appeals, damages, housing, local government, news, nuisance by tracey

‘Elizabeth England, of Five Paper Chambers, runs through the key points of the latest Court of Appeal Japanese Knotweed case.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 10th November 2023

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Court of Appeal to conclude hearing on compulsory ADR – Legal Futures

Posted November 10th, 2023 in appeals, damages, dispute resolution, housing, local government, news, nuisance by tracey

‘The Court of Appeal will today conclude a three-day hearing on whether the courts can stay proceedings and require parties to engage in ADR as a condition of being able to continue their claims.’

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Legal Futures, 10th November 2023

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk