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The government is pressing ahead with its plans to make property agents in the private sector join “an approved or designated client money protection (CMP) scheme” if they handle client money. The move follows a public consultation by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government at the end of last year. In its response
The leaseholder of a maisonette has been prevented from extending her home by digging down into the subsoil beneath her cellar. The High Court held that the general presumption of being allowed to develop a property upwards did not automatically apply to developments going the other way. The case involved a house which had been
The government has introduced new measures to protect company directors from identity fraud after research showed they are twice as likely as other people to be targeted by criminals. Until now, directors were required to register their personal address with Companies House. The records are public documents, so the information is available to anyone. This
The main residence inheritance tax allowance has by risen £25,000, reducing the death duty burden for thousands of families. The allowance was introduced in April last year and was set at £100,000. In April this year it rose to £125,000 and will rise to £175,000 by 2020. It only applies to a person’s home, not
An apprentice who was made redundant two years before his apprenticeship was due to be completed has been awarded £25,000 compensation for loss of earnings. Daniel Kinnear was employed as an apprentice roof tiler under a four-year apprenticeship contract from October 2014. In June 2016, the employer terminated his apprenticeship for redundancy reasons. At the
The BBC drama series The Split, featuring family law firms, got off to a roaring start with the main characters at each other’s throats and competing to sign up rich clients. It will no doubt continue with more high-powered thrills and spills but while it may be gripping entertainment, it’s far removed from the real
The parents of a sperm donor have been granted the right to see their biological grandchild. The case involved a same-sex couple and a friend who had agreed to donate his sperm, so they could have a baby. For the first few years of the child’s life, the donor saw him every week or fortnight
Companies House has issued new guidance to help directors comply with regulations relating to identifying and recording who owns or controls the business. The owner or the person who makes the key decisions is known as a Person with Significant Control (PSC) or the ‘beneficial owner’. Companies must identify their PSCs when registering with Companies
Large employers who’ve missed the deadline for reporting on their gender pay gap have been given extra time to comply – but they’ve been told they’ve entered the “last chance saloon” to avoid penalties. Private and voluntary sector employers with 250 or more staff were required to report the information by 4 April. The Equality
An office manager who resigned after being placed in a stressful and “intolerable situation” has been awarded £60,000 compensation. Mrs A Fletcher had worked for Ashby Lowery estate agents in Northampton since 2003. She acted as deputy to the owner Darren Wilson and was left in charge when he was away. She dealt with the