A landlord has lost a dispute with his local housing authority over the licensing of two of his properties that had been renovated without planning permission. The issue arose out of Part 3 of the Housing Act 2004, which provided for the selective licensing by local housing authorities of private-sector housing in particular areas. In
A building firm has won a dispute over a £700,000 payment after the High Court upheld a decision made by an adjudicator. The firm had been contracted by some developers to provide pre-construction services for a proposed retirement village. Once the work was complete, it submitted an invoice but didn’t receive payment. The firm then
The Court of Appeal has ruled in favour of a landlord who was in dispute with his local council over accommodation for students in two houses in multiple occupation (HMO). The landlord had been granted HMO licences by the authority in relation to the two properties. Each property had a bedroom in the attic, but
The landlord of a holiday park has won a legal dispute with chalet tenants over service charges. The tenants held long leases that obliged them to pay whatever the landlord “”may reasonably require on account”” by 31 December every year to maintain and manage the park. The lease specified that the service charge was to
Several leading judges and lawyers say businesses could save millions of pounds if they used mediation as a way of settling disputes with employees and other companies. Research by the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR) suggests that about 10,000 cases went through mediation last year – an increase of 5.2% on 2014. Mediation allows
A business tenant has failed to exercise a break clause correctly because it left some partitioning behind when it vacated its commercial premises. The premises were on a 10-year lease with the option of exercising a break clause after five years on condition that proper notice was served and vacant possession was given on or
The Court of Appeal has ruled that the manufacturer of a device used to avert the risk of fire was not obliged to compensate the owners of a factory that was burnt to the ground. The court heard that the factory made precision components for the aerospace industry. It installed thermolevel devices to act as
An amusement arcade has won the right to compensation after a local authority closed a seaside pier because of safety concerns. The arcade leased premises on the pier. The freeholder was responsible for the repair and renewal of the pier’s structure. In 2004, the arcade obtained an engineering survey that revealed serious structural problems requiring
A company has been granted an injunction preventing a neighbouring firm going ahead with a development that infringed its right to light. The neighbour’s high handed attitude during the dispute was a major factor in the judge’s decision. The case involved two companies with adjoining premises. The claimant company objected as soon as it became
A family company has won a dispute over a £35m investment that a businessman claimed had been given to him as a gift. The family had signed an agreement with the businessman to fund half of a deposit to secure a contract for the supply of oil. He had claimed to be able to secure