Blog Posts
Call today to speak with our team.
What is a Party Wall? A party wall is a wall that divides a building between two owners (e.g. the vertical wall between two neighbouring terraced houses). There are however, other forms of party walls such as a party fence or a party structure. Party fence – this...
The Court of Appeal has recently given leave to a man to challenge his ex-mother in law’s will in the case of Randall v Randall. Facts of the case Colin and Hilary Randall divorced in 2006 and as part of the settlement, Mrs Randall would be able to retain £100,000...
Contracts are often hotly negotiated, involving numerous rounds of offer and counter offer. While there is undoubtedly a commercial advantage to both parties negotiating the best possible deal, if the parties are not careful, these rounds of offer and counter offer...
A new home is probably to be one of the most expensive purchases you will make during your lifetime. Besides the property itself, you will have likely heard of other costs you may incur. Whether you are a first time buyer, or you are just unsure about the costs of...
Can someone sign a contract on my behalf? We are often approached by individuals who are confused as to whether they can be bound into contracts or liable for the debts of their spouse or other family members. The truth is that we are all separate individuals...
Whilst people may prepare a will to deal with their affairs, unfortunately a lot of people may simply forget about it for years to come. It is vastly important that these documents are regularly reviewed to take account of any changes to your personal circumstances,...
What do I need to know about the termination or renewal of a business lease? Whether you are a landlord or a tenant of a commercial property let for business use, it is important to know your rights on the termination or renewal of the lease. Normally under the...
Architects are instructed to provide various services over and above drawing plans for developments. They are often instructed to apply for planning permissions and to supervise projects alongside builders and sub-contractors, often signing-off various stages of a...
The Figures The charity Citizens Advice has recently released their figures showing a sharp increase in the number of people phoning for advice on issues where someone has died without leaving a will (dying intestate): Year Queries 2011 1,522 2012 1,942 2013 2,626...
What is adverse possession of land and how can I obtain it? The majority of land in the UK is registered at the Land Registry and property owners should be familiar with the boundaries of their land. However, there are some instances where land remains unregistered...
A well-known person in the entertainment business breathed a sigh of relief last week as their extra-marital sexual activities were ordered to be kept under wraps. The Supreme Court last week allowed an appeal against the Court of Appeal’s decision to set aside an...
Following on from Enforcing Judgements: 1/2, in part two, we will be looking at: Third Party Debt Orders; Orders for Committal; and Insolvency, as enforcement options when facing a situation whereby you have acquired a judgement but your opponent is not complying with...
In this two part series, we discuss the options when facing a situation whereby you have acquired a judgment but your opponent is not complying with the order of the Court. In part one, we look at: Charging Orders; Writs and Warrants of Control;and Attachment of...
We receive enquiries many clients who are owed money by third parties - companies, partnerships and individuals. Monies can be owed for one or more of any number of reasons – rent arrears (commercial or residential), contractual debts, judgment debts, book debts,...
Having a buy to let property can be a good way to bring in an extra income stream. However, what can and should you do if your tenant stops paying their rent? Telephone the tenant As a first port of call, give your tenant a call or pop round to the property to speak...
You may have read about the ongoing issues regarding the estate of the late US music superstar, Prince. It appears that he did not leave a will, a fact that is already causing problems. It appears that nobody knows for certain if he made a will or not, which with a...
If you are thinking of renovating or extending your property, you must have the necessary planning permission from your Local Authority to do so. Planning permission: when is it needed? Generally, planning permission is required if you want to build something new,...
In the final article of our series on Statutory Demands, we discuss setting aside a statutory demand. How to dispute a statutory demand It is often the case, that where a statutory demand has been served on a debtor, the debtor wishes to dispute its validity. In...
It is often frustrating for creditors to have to wait months on end for payment of outstanding debts. Waiting for a County Court money claim to be dealt with can often take many months and the period of time which elapses between commencement and determination of...
This article is the first in a short series of articles concerning statutory demands and personal insolvency. Help! I'm owed money! In the current financial climate creditors pursuing debtors for money are increasingly keen for outstanding balances to be paid in a...
What's going on? This month has seen a further update to the CPR announced. The Civil Procedure (Amendment) Rules 2016 will, in the main, came into force on 6 April 2016 after being laid before Parliament on 25 February 2016. What has changed? The changes to the CPR...
A local authority has seen its decision to revoke a restaurant’s Premises Licence challenged in the High Court. East Lindsey District Council decided to revoke the Premises Licence at Zara’s Restaurant after it was discovered that the restaurant was employing an...
Parking charges in private car parks are constant irritation for motorists and for that reason the decision in ParkingEye Limited (Respondent) v Beavis (Appellant) [2015] UKSC 67 has been of great interest to many. The case concerned a parking fine of £85 that the...
Ed Smith - Commercial Litigation Solicitor at Levi Solicitors - is running the London Marathon this weekend in aid of MACS, a charity helping blind children and children with other sight difficulties. Challenge This is Ed’s first ever marathon. He has undertaken a...
Are you thinking of buying your first home? It is becoming increasingly difficult for first time buyers to get onto the property ladder in the UK - here’s one way to save towards your dream home - the 'Help to Buy ISA'. The government have recently introduced the Help...
The severe flooding across Yorkshire and other parts of the UK during December 2015 may have become a distant memory for those not directly affected. Almost four months on, the effects on thousands of homes and businesses still remain very real today. Flooding is...
In our final instalment of articles about tenancy deposits, we look at what a Landlord can do if he finds himself in a position where he has mistakenly failed to comply with the requirements of the Tenancy Deposit Scheme. How do I evict my tenant? As we saw last week...
Yesterday we looked at 'Tenancy Deposit Schemes: Landlord Obligations', why deposits need protecting and the Landlord’s requirements. But what happens if a Landlord fails to protect the deposit or comply with the other requirements? Unfortunately for Landlords, the...
In the first of a series of articles in relation to Tenancy Deposit Schemes, we look at what Landlords need to do and why. As you may know, since April 2007, it has been compulsory for Landlords to protect their Tenants’ deposits when new Assured Shorthold Tenancies...
On 21 March 2016 there was yet another increase in Court fees, among which were fees relating to starting proceedings for recovery of land in the County Court which have risen from £280 to £355. This comes after the controversial hike in Court fees that took place in...
