With the stamp duty holiday for first-time buyers buying properties under £250,000 due to end on March 24, there could be a rush to buy amongst first time buyers. With lending from the major banks still cautious, first time buyers will inevitably turn to other sources, such as family members, for help to beat the
Court orders to evict tenants rose by 11% in 2011 as landlords took a firmer stance against late payers. Figures released by the specialist receivers, Templeton LPA, also show that the number of tenants in “severe arrears” of more than two months rose by 18% last year to 78,970. That’s the highest level since the
A sales manager has been found liable for breaches of contract and duty to his employer after setting up a rival business. The manager was working for an information technology consultancy when he decided to set up a new company of his own. While preparing his new venture, he downloaded some of his employer’s business
Prime Minister David Cameron has promised to “kill off the health and safety culture” which he says has become “an albatross around the neck of British businesses”. He says he wants to address “the fear from businesses of being sued for trivial or excessive claims”. The Government is now planning to change the law on
A court has ruled that a commercial tenant’s break clause notice was invalid because it had not paid the interest that had accrued as a result of late payments. The fact that the landlord had not sent a demand for payment made no difference. The case involved a tenant that had taken out a ten-year
Three councils have lost their appeal for a judicial review of the Coalition Government’s decision to scrap the need for planning permission when converting single dwellings into houses in multiple occupation (HMOs). The need for planning permission was introduced in April 2010 by the last Labour Government after it had conducted a consultation with interested
Investors buying properties consisting of two or more flats could be spending far more than necessary if they don’t take advantage of a Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) relief introduced in the Finance Act 2011. The change rectified the situation whereby if an investor bought a property containing several flats from the same seller, the
Two directors of a car dealership have been disqualified for eight years after failing to keep adequate records for their company, which was experiencing trading difficulties. The company was placed into administration in 2009 with an estimated deficiency of £1.3m. It was then investigated by the Insolvency Service which was unable to find any of
The original owner of the hotel had been granted a licence in 1973 to use the road to provide access for coaches and commercial vehicles. That licence was personal to the original owner and ceased to have effect when new owners acquired the hotel in 1980. In spite of this, however, the hotel continued to
The fact that a tenant has become bankrupt or obtained a debt relief order does not mean that they cannot have a possession order made against them on the grounds of rent arrears. That was the ruling of the Court of Appeal in two separate cases involving two tenants. Both tenants held assured tenancies and