Blog Posts
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We participated in #SolicitorChat on Twitter this morning, answering questions about Wills and jointly owned assets. Andrew Milburn from our Wills and Probate team was on hand to answer the questions. If you were not able to follow the chat live, we set our answers...
Individuals and businesses instruct accountants to deal with a range of financial matters. If you have employed someone as an accountant, it is only reasonable to expect that they will perform their role professionally and that they will not cause you to suffer a...
You may think that whether a document is signed or not would be obvious. However the High Court has recently looked at exactly this. Is an email with an automatic email signature, signed? What is a signature? The traditional definition of the word ‘signature’ is “your...
First Time Buyers have been able to save money towards their first home in a Help to Buy ISA since the Scheme began on 1 December 2015. The scheme provides a 25% bonus on savings; with the minimum bonus being £400 and the maximum being £3,000 depending on the balance...
Last week, the Government announced that it has dropped its planned probate fee hike. What are the current fees? Fees are paid to the Probate Registry when you make an application for a Grant of Representation following someone’s death. Not all estates require a...
We participated in #SolicitorChat on Twitter last week, answering questions about the value of seeking legal advice from a solicitor. Our new addition to our Dispute Resolution team, Gemma Horner, was on hand to answer the questions. If you were not able to follow the...
Limitation is the specified period during which you can make a claim against the defendant. This is done by issuing a claim form and supporting documents at Court, together with the required fee. How long is the limitation period? The limitation period for your claim...
Buying a house is one of the biggest investments you will make in your lifetime and we understand that it can be especially difficult when you are a first-time buyer. The government has set up various help to buy schemes to assist first-time buyers get their feet on...
Boundary disputes and how to resolve them Boundary disputes arising between neighbours are very common and can escalate unreasonably, often resulting in unnecessary costs which can spiral out of control. A boundary issue can often be used as a ‘weapon’ when neighbours...
Our professional negligence solicitors are experts in advising clients on claims against all types of professionals. Our team answers some of your frequently asked questions. What is professional negligence? Professional negligence occurs where a professional fails to...
There are two main types of land ownership: freehold and leasehold. Freehold ownership is where the person owns outright all of the land and buildings on a plot. For example, houses are usually freehold properties. On the other hand you have leasehold property. This...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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....
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Our case before the Supreme Court Levi Solicitors LLP has obtained the permission of the Supreme Court to appeal against an order of the Court of Appeal dated 13 September 2018. Hearings in the Supreme Court in civil cases are relatively rare. Last year 85 appeals...
Home owners and renting tenants will not (for obvious reasons) move into properties with the intention of causing trouble or conflict with their new neighbours. However unfortunately disputes between neighbours can happen. Issues can include: Boundary disputes;...
Levi Solicitors are delighted to announce they have been awarded the Cyber Essentials Certificate of Assurance effective from 22 February 2019. Cyber Essentials helps organisations guard against the most common cyber threats and demonstrate their commitment to cyber...
Service Charges on your flat. Are you paying too much? Flat owners are routinely required to pay service charges to the owner of their building (the Landlord). In recent years, the average service charges have increased dramatically. A recent study found that service...
