Japanese knotweed is a pernicious nuisance that blights property values. However, a landmark Court of Appeal ruling has established that, if it encroaches onto your land from a neighbouring property, you are entitled to compensation. The case concerned two neighbours whose bungalows backed onto a
Tax is territorial and is only payable on income generated by a source within the UK. As a Court of Appeal ruling in a foreign loan case showed, however, a hinterland of legal complexity resides within that apparently simple statement. The case concerned a construction
The Equality Act 2010 requires every public authority to have due regard to the interests of the elderly, disabled, or any other group of people with protected characteristics. In a High Court case, a local authority’s failure to match up to that duty resulted in
Every landlord or property vendor should be aware that the consequences of failing to accurately answer enquiries before contract can be severe. In a Court of Appeal case, a landlord who failed to disclose that commercial premises were contaminated by asbestos ended up with a
Housing developments in the open countryside are frequently controversial but, as a High Court case showed, social and economic advantages – particularly the provision of affordable housing – can sometimes tilt the balance in their favour. A developer’s proposal to build 10 homes on farmland
If the turnover of your business is above the threshold at which registration for VAT is obligatory, a dishonest failure to do so can lead to criminal sanctions. In one case on point, a restaurant owner who failed to seek professional tax advice received a
With the assistance of the courts, social housing providers are sadly used to dealing firmly with nuisance tenants so that others can live in peace. In one case, a woman who repeatedly battered her neighbours’ ears with foul-mouthed tirades, despite being ordered to desist, came
Claims handling companies are expected to act with integrity and those that fail to do so can be hit with exemplary damages awards following a landmark Court of Appeal decision in a so-called ‘crash for cash’ case. The case concerned a claims handling company that
When businesses with broadly equal bargaining power enter into a freely negotiated contract, the law will rarely intervene to alter the bargain. The point could hardly have been more clearly made than by a Court of Appeal case concerning a disastrous food factory fire. The
Affiliation to a respected trade association is a boon to any business and provides reassurance to the buying public. A recent Court of Appeal case shed light on the extent to which businesses bear responsibility for out-of-date references to membership of a trade association. A
