Insights & News

Ignore Japanese knotweed at your peril!

07 July 2017

Japanese knotweed is an invasive non-native species and is problematic because it can cause physical damage to land and buildings, particularly through spreading roots. During the summer months, it can grow up to 10 centimetres a day and roots can extend to a depth of three metres and up to seven metres laterally. The presence of knotweed can have a significant and detrimental effect on the marketability and insurability of property and may also adversely affect value.

Proposed disclosure rules for non-UK entities owning property or bidding for Government contracts

12 April 2017

The UK Government proposes new rules requiring non-UK entities that already own, or intend to acquire, UK real estate, or that wish to bid for UK central Government contracts, to be required to disclose information about the beneficial owners of the entity.

Beware of copyright when considering existing planning permission

02 March 2017

The recent judgment in Signature Realty Ltd v Fortis Developments Ltd & Anor is an excellent example of the application of copyright in a planning and building context.

Estate agent unable to claim his fee on successful property sale

17 February 2017

The Court of Appeal has decided that it cannot imply contractual terms where there is no contract in the first place. In this case, it would not imply a term to enable an estate agent to recover his commission on a sale.

New Court form for Warrant Requests following suspended possession orders

21 December 2016

The Court Service has released a new Request to Issue a Warrant for Possession form which is to be used where a possession order has been suspended on terms requiring the payment of rent and arrears.

The Heat Network (Metering and Billing) Regulations 2014

11 November 2016

The Heat Network (Metering and Billing) Regulations 2014 are designed to implement the metering and billing requirements of the 2012 EU Energy Efficiency Directive. This article looks at the detail surrounding the implementation.

Flowers fails to reign over Cardiff City Council but solidifies the importance of CPR 83.2- Landlords beware!

25 October 2016

Lady Justice Arden and Lord Justice Briggs in the matter of Cardiff County Council v Lee (Flowers) [2016] EWCA Civ 1034 (“Flowers”).

The London Olympic legacy dream was real – but four years on, is it still alive?

18 August 2016

As we find ourselves enjoying both the carnival-style spectacle of Rio 2016 and the success of the British athletes at the Games, the build-up felt somewhat tainted by the media frenzy surrounding the clear health risks faced by the athletes and visitors (and the wider global community), the Russian doping scandal and the ongoing protesting on the streets of Rio.

What’s obvious to some is not obvious to all: Supreme Court espouses a conservative approach to implied terms

18 January 2016

“Rent” is what a tenant pays to occupy premises – agreed? So you might think it was “obvious” that a tenant shouldn’t pay rent for any period after the tenancy terminates – e.g. in circumstances where a tenant validly terminates the lease early. If you think that, you were in good company and indeed many landlords would voluntarily reimburse rent paid for the period after the termination date even where the lease did not expressly require this. Why? – because it was it was the right thing to do, obviously!