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Since 2007, landlords of houses and flats have been legally obliged to “protect” their tenants’ rent/security deposits. Deposits must either be paid into an authorised scheme or be registered and insured with such a scheme. Landlords are also obliged to give tenants full written details, including the scheme reference number. The requirements initially had to
Landlords need to ensure they comply with tougher new tenancy deposit rules which came into effect on 6th April. If they fail to do so, they could face fines and find it harder to evict tenants. The new rules are part of the Localism Act, which redefines the way landlords should protect the deposits given
People declared bankrupt may have to use some of their untaken pensions to pay their debts, following a High Court ruling. When a person is declared bankrupt, the courts will assess their income and decide how much they can afford to pay their creditors each month, usually for a period of three years until the
It is not unusual for people to sign agreements without being fully aware of how legally binding the document actually is and how much protection it gives them. This can prove costly, as shown in a recent case before the High Court. It involved two businessmen, Karim Dhanani and Serge Crasnianski, who discussed setting up
A director and a shareholder were held to be in contempt of court after selling company assets. The case involved an agency that sold car breakdown policies on behalf of an insurance company. The insurers came to believe that the agency had not accounted fully to it for its premiums and had provided false information.
Changes to employment tribunals designed to save businesses £50m a year and make it easier for them to take on staff have now come into effect. The Government says it has streamlined the system to reduce some of the burden on employers and reduce the number of vexatious claims. The main changes are: The qualifying
Three out of four middle managers in UK businesses are unaware of the Bribery Act, according to research by the fraud investigation specialists Ernst & Young. This is in spite of the fact that the Act came into effect in July 2011. The researchers also found that of the 28% of middle managers who had
The Supreme Court has ruled that an employer can operate a compulsory retirement age if it is “founded on legitimate social policy aims”. The case involved solicitor Leslie Seldon who was a partner at a law firm. In 2006, he was obliged to retire at the age of 65 under provisions contained in the firm’s
A letting agency has been fined for illegally obtaining information about tenants while chasing up rent arrears. The offence took place in 2009 when the agency became concerned about overdue rent payments. One of its directors approached a local authority customer service adviser and asked him to obtain information about certain tenants from housing benefit
Steve Smith, Managing Partner of Machins Solicitors LLP is pleased to announce their expansion as a result of the merger with Sumner & Tabor of Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire. Gillian Tabor and Kathryn Ainsworth, partners in Sumner & Tabor, have for some time been exploring ways in which they could better meet all the legal needs of their