Dispute Resolution

A householder has lost ownership of a strip of land outside his home after a neighbour started using it and then claimed it as hers under the principle of adverse possession. The case involved a grass verge that was close to the neighbour’s property. The neighbour started using in 1999 and maintained it as if

A landlord was entitled to recover from tenants the VAT charges it had to pay its managing agent in respect of caretaking staff. That was the decision of the Upper Tribunal (Lands) in the case of a landlord who hired a managing agent to fulfil the various obligations set out in his lease agreements. The

Rising court fees could prevent some small businesses from recovering debts and so force them into insolvency, according to the Law Society. The Society says it’s concerned that the government is considering more increases when the higher fees introduced earlier this year have “failed to deliver any tangible improvements in the court service or helped

A mural by the famous but secretive artist Banksy has highlighted some interesting points about who owns what when a tenant leases a property from a landlord. The case involved the company Dreamland Leisure and a property it leased as an amusement arcade in Folkestone. Banksy painted a mural on one of the walls of

New regulations governing the use of section 21 eviction notices and specifying the information landlords must provide to tenants came into effect on 1 October. Landlords must provide tenants with the following information at the start of the tenancy or as soon as possible afterwards: • a copy of the Energy Performance Certificate for the

A company has won its appeal against the forfeiture of its head lease, which could have resulted in losses of more than £1m. The issue arose because the company had breached the terms of its lease relating to seven commercial units by sub-letting one to a restaurant without getting the consent of the landlord. The

The government has announced plans to prevent illegal immigrants renting properties. It will also crack down on rogue landlords who exploit immigrants and supply them with substandard accommodation. Ministers say measures in the forthcoming Immigration Bill will enable landlords to evict illegal immigrant tenants more easily, by giving them the means to end a tenancy

A landlord has won a legal dispute that could see 21 tenants eventually having to pay more than £500,000 a year each in service charges. The case illustrates the danger of entering into agreements that seem a good idea at the time but may have unforeseen consequences long into the future. The court heard that

A steel company has won damages of $7.4m plus interest from a supplier that failed to deliver materials on time. The High Court heard that there had been a contract between the companies for the supply of four consignments of steel billets from Ukraine to Morocco, where the buyer had a factory. Difficulties arose and