A number of estate and letting agents have been sent official letters warning them that they may be at risk of breaking competition law. The letters, from the Competition and Markets Authority, follow a recent case in which an association of estate and letting agents, and a newspaper were fined a total of £735,000 for
A contractor has won the right to challenge a £658,000 award made against it by an adjudicator more than six years ago. The court heard that the contractor had been engaged by a developer to carry out an asbestos survey on a block of maisonettes. The developer later claimed that the contractor had failed to
A woman who helped set up a business as a junior partner has succeeding in ousting the senior shareholder-director who ignored their agreement and misused company money. The two parties had agreed to open a beauty salon in a shopping centre. The shareholder-director would assist with setting up the business and arranging leases, and then
A developer can go ahead with plans to build student flats in a university town despite strong opposition from the local authority. The case centred on the provisions and requirements of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). The site in question, which was designated as a landscape setting area, was situated in Exeter where there
There has been a significant rise in the number of claims coming before employment tribunals, according to the latest research. Figures published by the Law Gazette show there were 4,390 single claims in the third quarter of 2014 compared with 3,790 in the first quarter. That was a jump of 16%. The increase should be
Former benefit claimants have set up 70,000 new businesses under the government’s New Enterprise Allowance scheme. The scheme provides seed funding and a mentor for jobseekers, lone parents and people on sickness benefits who come up with a solid business idea. If the business plan is approved, they are eligible for financial support payable through
A minority shareholder was not unfairly treated when his former colleagues decided to buy him out against his will. That was the ruling of the Court of Appeal in a case involving a private equity business. The court heard that the business had been subject to a management buy-out from its previous owner. It was
An estate agency that was cut out of a property deal after finding a prospective buyer has been awarded its £75,600 commission in full. The High Court heard that the agency was hired by a company wanting to sell a commercial property. The agency found a purchaser in Cyprus. The purchaser agreed to pay a
A contractor was not liable for the failure of some of its work despite apparently giving a 20-year “warranty”. That was the decision of the Court of Appeal in a case involving a multi-million pound project. The contractor, MT Hojgaard, had been hired by the power company, E.ON, to build the foundations for a set
When investing in a business it’s important to have a written agreement clearly stating the terms and conditions that apply. Failure to do so can result in costly confusion as occurred in a recent case before the High Court. It involved an investor who put £50,000 into a business on the understanding that he would