Category: repairs

Just a walk in the Park – No. 5 Chambers

Posted June 12th, 2020 in accidents, chambers articles, local government, news, personal injuries, repairs, roads, statutory interpretation by sally

‘The interplay of cases and statutes including some from the last century hardly makes for exciting bedtime reading but Barlow v Wigan MBC is an important decision for those who suffer injury as a result of a highway defect particularly if they are walking on a path in a park established many years ago. It is also a tribute to solicitors and counsel who pursue such claims with dogged determination, and in the case of those acting for Claimants, at a risk if the claim is unsuccessful of receiving no payment in return.’

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No. 5 Chambers, 8th June 2020

Source: www.no5.com

Landlord’s certification conclusive and binding on issues of law? – Hardwicke Chambers

Posted June 11th, 2020 in covenants, landlord & tenant, news, rent, repairs, service charges, set-off by sally

‘This appeal was against the Deputy Master’s refusal in [2019] EWHC 3414 (Ch) to dismiss Blacks, the tenant’s counterclaim or to grant a summary money judgement in relation to S&H, the landlord’s claim for rent for over £400,000. It raised complicated issues concerning the construction and inter-relation between a set-off clause and a certification provision.’

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Hardwicke Chambers, 10th June 2020

Source: hardwicke.co.uk

Not signed, not sealed, not delivered – Nearly Legal

Posted April 27th, 2020 in county courts, debts, deposits, disability discrimination, disabled persons, equality, housing, landlord & tenant, news, notification, rent, repairs, repossession by sally

‘A first instance county court judgment on a possession claim, but with a range of interesting issues. The Ratcliffes were the landlords, Ms Patterson was the tenant and Mr Porter a guarantor, who played no part in proceedings. The tenancy was an assured shorthold tenancy with the most recent fixed term beginning in June 2018. Rent arrears accrued (on which more later) and the Ratcliffes brought a claim for possession under grounds 8, 10 and 11 Schedule 2 Housing Act 1988.’

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Nearly Legal, 26th April 2020

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

The Mayor and Commonality and Citizens of the City of London v Various Leaseholders of Great Arthur House [2019] UKUT 341 (LC) – Tanfield Chambers

Posted April 15th, 2020 in appeals, chambers articles, housing, interpretation, landlord & tenant, leases, London, news, repairs, tribunals by sally

‘The Upper Tribunal determined, by reference to the interpretation of the specific terms of various “Right to Buy” leases, whether the leaseholders were liable to contribute to the landlord’s costs of repairing structural defects.’

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Tanfield Chambers, 2nd April 2020

Source: www.tanfieldchambers.co.uk

Revised pre-action protocols – St Ives Chambers

Posted February 17th, 2020 in chambers articles, housing, landlord & tenant, news, pre-action conduct, repairs by sally

‘Two important protocols have been revised that apply to social housing providers with effect from 13 January 2020.’

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St Ives Chambers, 4th February 2020

Source: www.stiveschambers.co.uk

Two in five prisons in poor condition, watchdog finds – The Guardian

Posted February 7th, 2020 in health & safety, Ministry of Justice, news, ombudsmen, prisons, repairs, standards, statistics by tracey

‘The government is failing in its efforts to improve prison conditions, with record levels of safety breaches and “huge” backlogs in repairs, Whitehall’s spending watchdog has found. The National Audit Office said plans to “provide and maintain safe, secure and decent prisons” had not been carried out.’

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The Guardian, 7th February 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

London Borough of Southwark v Royce & Nicoue [2019] UKUT 331 (LC) – Tanfield Chambers

Posted January 29th, 2020 in appeals, housing, landlord & tenant, leases, local government, news, repairs, service charges, standards, tribunals by sally

‘The First Tier Tribunal had been entitled to reach the conclusions it had as to the degree of separation between two heating systems on adjoining estates. On that basis, the interpretation they had reached of the service charge provisions in the relevant leases was correct, as costs incurred replacing pipes on one estate were not costs “incidental” to the provision of services on the other.’

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Tanfield Chambers, 21st January 2020

Source: www.tanfieldchambers.co.uk

Scores of tower blocks with Grenfell-style cladding have no plan in place to remove it, figures show – The Independent

Posted January 17th, 2020 in accidents, fire, health & safety, housing, landlord & tenant, local government, news, repairs, standards by tracey

‘Two and a half years on from fatal Kensington blaze, more than 21,000 households still living in flats wrapped in flammable cladding that allowed fire to rapidly spread’

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The Independent, 16th January 2020

Source: www.independent.co.uk

On not being entitled to make decisions, let alone wrong ones – Nearly Legal

Posted January 6th, 2020 in appeals, housing, jurisdiction, landlord & tenant, leases, news, repairs, service charges, tribunals by sally

‘An Upper Tribunal appeal decision where just about everything that could have been wrong about the first instance First Tier Tribunal decision was.’

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Nearly Legal, 5th January 2020

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

Council submits £130m claims in High Court bid to recover costs under housing estate maintenance PFI – Local Government Lawyer

Posted December 2nd, 2019 in construction industry, contracts, housing, local government, news, private finance initiative, repairs by sally

‘Camden Council has submitted claims to the High Court to recover costs from the contractor PFIC (Partners for Improvement in Camden) and its principal subcontractors, who previously had responsibility for refurbishment and maintenance of the Chalcots Estate, under a private finance initiative agreement.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 29th November 2019

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

If you go down to the woods today – Nearly Legal

Posted November 18th, 2019 in damages, estoppel, housing, human rights, landlord & tenant, leases, news, rent, repairs, repossession by sally

‘This is a rather odd case concerning possession of a farmhouse in the Forest of Dean. It had been first occupied by the defendant’s mother and step father in 1993. The terms of this were in dispute, but the rent was £155 and the step-father was to undertake repairs and maintenance to the property. The step-father did carry out some repairs, but he moved out in 2002, visiting and leaving some possessions there thereafter. The mother moved out in 2006. Various other family and friends lived at the property in subsequent years. The defendant had rented and bought property of his own, but took on repairs to the farmhouse and regarded it as his family home.’

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Nearly Legal, 17th November 2019

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

The future for me is already a thing of the past – Nearly Legal

Posted November 13th, 2019 in appeals, costs, housing, landlord & tenant, news, repairs, third parties by sally

‘This is an important Court of Appeal decision concerning Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, s.19(2) and the reasonable sum payable in advance on account of works where the landlord may be able in future to recover some of the costs from a third party.’

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Nearly Legal, 12th November 2019

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

Accidental death verdict for man electrocuted on football pitch – The Guardian

Posted October 3rd, 2019 in accidents, health & safety, inquests, news, repairs, sport by tracey

‘A jury has returned a verdict of accidental death at the inquest of a man who was electrocuted as he climbed over a fence to retrieve a football while playing a five-a-side match.’

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The Guardian, 2nd October 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

New Acts – legislation.gov.uk

Posted September 11th, 2019 in brexit, EC law, leases, legislation, parliament, repairs by tracey

Parliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Act 2019

European Union (Withdrawal) (No. 2) Act 2019

Kew Gardens (Leases) Act 2019

Source: www.legislation.gov.uk

Whose windows are these? – Nearly Legal

Posted September 3rd, 2019 in housing, landlord & tenant, news, repairs by sally

‘As should be well known, when it comes to landlord’s repairing responsibilities, an awful lot depends on the wording of the tenancy agreement. See for example, Welsh v Greenwich LBC (2001) 33 HLR 40 CA line of cases where a tenancy clause committing the landlord to keep the property ‘in good condition’ or ‘fit to live in’ made the landlord liable for condensation mould.’

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Nearly Legal, 2nd September 2019

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

Case Comment: Sveriges Angfartygs Assurans Forening (The Swedish Club) and others v Connect Shipping Inc and another [2019] UKSC 29 – UKSC Blog

Posted July 11th, 2019 in insurance, news, repairs, shipping law, ships, Supreme Court by sally

‘John Butler is a senior associate in the insurance and reinsurance group at CMS, specialising in maritime disputes. John is dual-qualified in Hong Kong and England & Wales, and regularly acts for international clients in Hong Kong litigation and international arbitration, particularly in international trade disputes under charterparties, bills of lading, letters of credit and contracts of affreightment.’

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UKSC Blog, 10th July 2019

Source: ukscblog.com

Council wins Upper Tribunal battle over service charge and replacement central heating – Local Government Lawyer

Posted March 7th, 2019 in housing, interpretation, landlord & tenant, leases, local government, news, repairs, service charges, tribunals by tracey

‘The Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber) has ruled that the London Borough of Southwark can recover a service charge for work in a leaseholder’s flat after the First Tier Tribunal (FTT) said nothing was payable.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 7th March 2019

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Property Litigation column: Wednesbury unreasonable and landlords: No.1 West India Quay – Hardwicke Chambers

Posted February 19th, 2019 in appeals, consent, interpretation, landlord & tenant, leases, news, repairs, Supreme Court by sally

‘In property law, discretionary powers are common. Such discretionary powers most often confer, on one contracting party, a discretionary power to grant or withhold consent for such things as changes of use, building, or alterations including the grant of consent. They are frequently found in restrictive covenants and in leases and include, for example, “Jervis v Harris” clauses which allow a landlord, during the term of a lease, to enter the demised premises and carry out works to remedy disrepair. The question of how a Court should approach a challenge to the exercise, under a contract, of a discretionary power is an old chestnut.’

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Hardwicke Chambers, 15th February 2019

Source: hardwicke.co.uk

Climate change: ‘Right to repair’ gathers force – BBC News

Posted January 10th, 2019 in climate change, consumer protection, EC law, environmental protection, news, repairs by sally

‘It is frustrating: you buy a new appliance then just after the warranty runs out, it gives up the ghost.’

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BBC News, 9th January 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Landlord fined £25,000 over lack of hot water for disabled tenant – The Guardian

Posted December 13th, 2018 in disabled persons, enforcement notices, equality, fines, landlord & tenant, local government, news, race discrimination, repairs, water by tracey

‘The wife of Britain’s most controversial buy-to-let landlord, Fergus Wilson, has been ordered to pay £25,000 in fines and legal costs after a court ruled that she had failed to supply hot water to a disabled tenant.’

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The Guardian, 12th December 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com