A landlord has won its appeal over the validity of service charges even though it was late in giving notice. The court held that it was enforceable because the tenant had “waived the invalidity”. The case involved Southwark Council and one of its tenants. At the beginning of each financial year the landlord had to
A leading judge has called for reforms to prevent rich fathers manipulating their finances to reduce the amount they pay towards their children’s upbringing. The call follows a change in the law in 2012 that means maintenance payments are based only on actual income. This means that if a parent wants to pay as little
The government has announced a £2.3 billion fund which will help unlock 100,000 new homes in areas of high demand. Communities Secretary Sajid Javid said hundreds of housing developments were being held up because of a lack of local infrastructure. The Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF) will solve that problem by enabling the construction of roads,
A husband described in court as “blatantly dishonest” has failed in his attempt to reduce the amount he must pay his wife as part of their divorce settlement. During the divorce proceedings, the husband had claimed to be in a dire financial position, being indebted to a trust he had set up and being excluded
A woman who claimed she was subjected to discrimination and harassment while undergoing treatment for cancer has been awarded more than £47,700 compensation. Eimear Coughlan worked for the Hideaways Club (UK) Ltd, a property investment firm based in London. She was the office manager and personal assistant to the chief executive, Poonam Dhawan-Leach. Problems arose
Three sisters have won a dispute with their father’s widow over the validity his will, which he made shortly before he died. The case involved a man who lived in Grenada with his second wife. In 2014, he had visited England to see his three daughters from his previous marriage. While he was there he
A husband has lost his appeal against a court order awarding his wife a large lump sum and half his pension. The case involved a couple who divorced after several years of marriage. There were no dependent children. The husband was ordered to pay the wife a lump sum of £350,000. The judge found that
More than a million people have opened a Help to Buy ISA, the government savings account designed to enable first time buyers to get on the property ladder. The scheme was launched on 1 December 2015 to provide potential buyers with the opportunity to save up to £200 a month with the government topping up
A homeowner has won the right to walk over her neighbour’s land to inspect her gas and electricity meters and maintain her property. The case involved two detached houses separated by a driveway. The meters for 96 were set into the wall that was built along the boundary with 98. The driveway ran beside the
A mother has been allowed to change her son’s middle name despite an objection from his father. The case involved a boy who at birth was given two forenames by the parents and registered with both. He was most commonly known by his first name but the father used both and said that he favoured