Category Archives: Property

Forged Planning Certificates Mean Prison

A man who sold a house after forging certificates for planning permission for works he had carried out but for which planning permission had not been obtained was recently sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment. The man had applied on three … Continue reading →

Court Backs Lord of Manor Over Land But Not Title

A recent High Court case provided a lesson in medieval land law for those involved, and featured a reputed Lord of the Manor in dispute with his villagers. In 2000, Peter Burton, a retired banker, and his partner Susan Bamford … Continue reading →

Architects Fined for Asbestos Failure

The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 [1] came into force on 6 April 2012. These made some adjustments to the existing Regulations, in order to take account of the European Commission’s view that the UK had not fully implemented the … Continue reading →

Property Sale on Forged Document Was Void

A businessman who had an £850,000 London property sold from under him by a forger whilst he languished in prison in the Middle East has been handed the property back by a judge. The High Court ruled that the purported … Continue reading →

Negligent Survey Brings Loss Claim

A firm of surveyors which carried out valuations that overstated the value of three properties found itself defending an action for negligence recently. The surveyors had issued valuations on which a mortgage lender had relied when approving loans. The High … Continue reading →

Dodgy Builder Ordered to Pay Damages

A house owner has been awarded almost £380,000 in damages and interest against a partner in a building firm who fraudulently induced him into entering into a contract for the renovation and extension of his property. The builder had ‘participated … Continue reading →

Property Price Fall Was Foreseeable

When a firm of consulting engineers created an ‘egregious delay’ in the commencement of a building project, they found themselves liable for the losses suffered by the landowner as a result. The firm had been appointed to design a road … Continue reading →

Law of Distress Abolished

The Ministry of Justice has recently confirmed that the law on distress will be abolished. Whilst the law of distress is considered by many to be anachronistic, it has nonetheless proven a very useful tool for commercial landlords over the … Continue reading →

Pre-Pack Owner Fails to Secure Lease

Insolvent tenants can be a major headache for landlords. For example, when a corporate tenant goes into administration, the landlord needs to obtain the consent of the administrator, or of the court, to forfeit the lease. This is because administration … Continue reading →

Buyer Who Failed to Complete Must Pay

In these straitened times, it is regrettably not uncommon for a buyer to withdraw from the purchase of a property after a legal agreement to purchase has been completed. When this happens, the vendor may be entitled to claim damages. … Continue reading →

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