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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
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
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
Here is the concluding article on powers of attorney with some final thoughts and encouragement. As with so many tasks in life making and registering a power of attorney IS not complicated if you know what you are doing, however there are traps for the unwary and the consequences of getting things wrong can be
A wife has had her divorce settlement increased because her husband inherited money after the original sum was agreed. The couple had been married for nine years and had two children. Their main asset was their home, which was worth £190,000. They were both on low incomes and received tax credits. Following the separation, the
An employee has won a disability discrimination case because his employer failed to take into account a change in his circumstances over a three-month period. The case involved an employee who had broken his back in 1995 and had spent 11 months in hospital before he could return to work. Over the coming years he
A couple who were plagued by nuisance neighbours after buying a farmhouse have been awarded £155,000 damages. The court heard that the farmhouse had originally been owned by the family causing the trouble. They had sold it when the father had reached retirement. They retained the next-door cottage. The farmhouse was eventually bought by a
An “aggressive” father has been granted sole parental responsibility for his son, even though the court had concerns about his parenting skills and his hostile attitude towards social workers. The court heard that the 12-year-old son had been cared for by his father until 2012 when he was left alone at home and a fire
The ban on exclusivity clauses in zero-hours contracts could have an unexpected impact on non-compete clauses involving high cost consultancy work. The ban on the exclusivity clauses came into effect on 26 May under the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act. It’s designed to stop employers being able to prevent employees on zero-hours contracts from
Employers could face potentially crippling penalties if they fail to pay the National Minimum Wage (NMW). The maximum £20,000 penalty for underpayment can now be charged for each worker underpaid. Previously, £20,000 was the maximum that could be imposed regardless of the number of employees who had been underpaid. The change means employers could be