The Tenant Fees Act 2019, which came into force on 1st June 2019, bans so-called ‘hidden fees’ that are charged to tenants throughout the course of tenancies. Previously, some tenants found they were being charged costly fees in addition to their rent and deposit such as administrative fees and credit check fees. These additional fees
The law surrounding gas safety certificates has been problematic for landlords, agents and property lawyers for some time now. Property lawyers are hoping that that the recent case of Trecarrell House Ltd v Rouncefield (unreported, 13 February 2019), due to go to the Court of Appeal in the next year, will add some clarity to
Two female police officers who were put on restricted duties for giving evidence against a colleague have won their sex discrimination claims. The tribunal ruled that they had been treated in way that would be detrimental to their careers, while male officers in a comparable position were not. The case involved two senior officers, Jane
A dyslexic charity worker was unfairly dismissed after making spelling errors that led to him being denied a new role. James Bulloss had worked as an adviser for the homeless charity Shelter. His role included working night shifts and weekends to work on the phone help lines. After three years he requested to join the
A Tesco employee was entitled to premium overtime pay despite an agreement between the supermarket and trade union that stated otherwise. The employee, Mr J Lozaique, had been employed by the store in a security role for four years when he was offered a job as a CCTV operator at another branch. A letter from
Two recent cases involving fathers taking paternity leave have highlighted a defining difference between parental leave and a mother’s statutory maternity leave. One male employee who worked for a technology firm sued for sex discrimination after his employers insisted he should not be paid at the same rate as mothers on statutory maternity leave. A
A social worker has won her discrimination claim after a drawn-out dispute with her employers in which she was asked, “how long would this disabled thing go on”. Patricia Murphy worked for Northumberland County Council from 1999. She suffered a foot injury in 2014 and lost some mobility. A series of complaints led to her
A woman has been awarded £1.2m despite being written out of her father’s will after they fell out in the later years of his life. The judge found that the woman was entitled to the sum because she had worked on the family farm for 30 years on the understanding that she would inherit it.
A judge has ruled that a son was entitled to a share of the family farm, despite having fallen out with his parents, because he had worked for more than 30 years on the understanding that the land would pass to him. The High Court heard that in 1981, the parents made wills under which
A dispute between a property owner and builder has been settled by the High Court, with the owner ordered to pay for work completed, even though he was not happy with it and the job was cancelled. The parties had entered into a JCT minor works building contract for work to be done on the