How to sue a solicitor – professional negligence claims against solicitors
Solicitors look after us when we are dealing with some of the most difficult aspects of our lives. From buying our homes and making our wills; to setting up a business or resolving disputes with employers, neighbours, or others. Usually everything will go without a hitch. But what happens if a mistake happens? Can you sue a solicitor? The answer…
Press release: Our client, Robert Hazeldean
The Personal Injury team is acting for Mr Robert Hazeldean in defending a claim brought against him by Gemma Brushett. Unfortunately, Mr Hazeldean had not felt able to instruct solicitors at the outset due to costs. He therefore tried to deal with the case as a litigant in person. The Claimant took advantage of this and has now sought almost…
Tenancy fee ban comes into force
Fees sought from tenants by landlords can often be a prickly subject. New rules came into force on 1 June 2019 concerning the costs that a landlord may pass on to tenants. This has been referred to as the tenancy fee ban. All new tenancies granted on or after 1 June 2019 are subject to the new rules immediately. Then from 1 June 2020, the new…
Landlords’ remedies for dilapidations
Most commercial landlords and tenants face dilapidations issues. Here, we take a look at what dilapidations are, and the remedies available to landlords. First things first, what are dilapidations? Dilapidations refers to disrepair covered by repairing covenants in a lease. It usually covers breaches of the tenant’s covenants relating to the…
Levi Solicitors raise money for St Gemma’s Hospice
Just One Day is an annual event held by the Lord Mayor of Leeds. Local people and businesses all raise money on one day to raise money for his chosen charity. This year, the Lord Mayor had chosed St Gemma’s Hospice, a charity close to many of our hearts at Levi Solicitors LLP. For our contribution to Just One Day, we held a raffle and a bake sale…
Company administration: the basics
We will have all read in the news recently about the large department store chains going into administration. Then more recently, about the collapse of Jamie Oliver’s restaurant empire. 22 restaurants have closed, and 1,000 people are expected to lose their jobs as the company goes into administration. But what is administration and what does an…
Knot again! Japanese knotweed and property
Japanese knotweed can cause property owners numerous issues. From costly eradication works, to reducing the property value. We take a look at Japanese knotweed, and some recent cases involving knotweed on neighbouring land, and a professional negligence claim against a surveyor that did not spot the plant. What is Japanese knotweed? Japanese…
Dealing with noisy neighbours
Every now and then, people suffer from excess noise caused by the occupiers of nearby properties. These could be the people in the neighbouring house who enjoy blasting out music late at night. However, equally, local businesses can also cause noise nuisance. Commercial noise nuisance could be anything from machinery in a factory; to the noise…
Keeping to the brief: architects’ negligence
Architecture. Whilst a laudable profession, is not one in which mistakes never happen. However, what are the extent of those mistakes? Well, that depends upon the particular circumstances. However, recently, the High Court (Martin Bowdery QC ((the Judge)) to be precise) delved into such matters in the case of Freeborn and Another v Marcal [2019].…
Ground rent increases and unexpected Assured Shorthold Tenancies
Many freeholders are selling leasehold properties which are subject to unreasonable ground rent provisions. Landlords can only increase the ground rent if the lease contains a provision allowing them to do so. In some cases, such provision can create an unreasonable or excessive annual rent amount. What this sometimes means, is that suddenly your…
Government announces fund to cover recladding
Just last month, I wrote about how some owners of high-rise buildings with Grenfell Tower-style cladding (aluminium composite material, known as ACM) were attempting to recover the cost of the recladding from the owners of the flats. However, today, the Housing Secretary, James Brokenshire has announced a Government u-turn on the position…
HMO licensing – avoiding a costly mistake
It is well known that landlords of residential premises must comply with various laws to ensure their tenants’ health and safety. For example, where the property is a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO), the landlord may require a licence from the local authority. We have looked previously at the hefty penalties facing landlords at the hands of…
Government proposes to abolish section 21 notices
The Government has announced this week its intention to review the way that landlords can recover possession of residential properties. They intend to get rid of the “no fault” eviction process. This is with a view to giving tenants more security in their homes. So what is proposed, and how will this affect landlords who want to evict their…
Stamp Duty Land Tax on residential property transactions
When purchasing property in the UK, there are different ways that Stamp Duty Land Tax (‘SDLT’) is calculated. We explain the different types of scenario below. First-time buyers Those who have not owned property before are entitled to apply for first-time buyer relief. This means that they will not pay SDLT on properties worth less…
Fire safety and service charges
Incredibly, we are approaching two years since the devastating and fatal fire at Grenfell Tower. Understandably, since the tragedy, both building owners and flat owners have looked to their own buildings’ fire safety. Since then, the first-tier Tribunal has seen a number of cases on whether landlords can charge the owners of the flats for fire…
Quiet enjoyment, not a quiet property
Residential tenants understand that their leases contain obligations that their landlord owes to them and visa versa. These are commonly known as covenants. One of the principal covenants that exists in just most residential leases is that of “quiet enjoyment”. But does quiet enjoyment mean? This article will investigate that question. Does it…