Homeowners are often blissfully unaware that onerous restrictions on what they can do with their properties may lurk within their title deeds. However, a case in which a couple won the right to complete a barn conversion on their land shows that, with the right
In a guideline case of interest to surveyors, valuers and other property professionals, a theme park which suffered a dramatic drop in trade following a rollercoaster crash has failed to convince the Upper Tribunal (UT) that it deserves a reduction in its business rates. Five
Mortgage lenders who take possession of defaulting debtors’ properties are obliged, when selling them, to obtain the best price reasonably obtainable. The High Court made that point in overturning a seven-figure statutory demand in the context of a bankruptcy case. A businessman loaned sums of
If an employee has to move to part-time work due to his or her disabilities, how does that affect the calculation of his or her pension rights on taking ill-health retirement? The Supreme Court considered that issue in a guideline discrimination case. The employee concerned
Appointing loved ones as executors of your will may seem the natural thing to do, but there are very good reasons why it is often wiser to employ professionals. A case on point concerned two sisters who fell out bitterly after one of them arranged
Clinical negligence in the first hours and days of a newborn baby’s life can lead to a lifetime of disability. However, a case in which a six-year-old boy won eight-figure damages from the NHS shows that specialist lawyers are always there to ensure that lessons
Construction projects are replete with dangers and, where a failure to match up to health and safety rules results in injury or death, deterrent financial penalties are frequently imposed. In a case on point, a building contractor received a £425,000 fine after a worker fell
Businesses in a hurry to raise finance sadly often make rushed decisions without the benefit of legal advice. In a case on point, a judge refused to relieve a company that entered into what turned out to be unwise hedging arrangements from the consequences of
When interpreting contracts, judges follow the wording actually used as their guiding light in discerning the intention of the parties. That was certainly so in a High Court dispute concerning a major project to construct a state-of-the-art new innovation centre for a Russell Group university.
Elderly homeowners are often tempted to transfer their properties to loved ones in the hope of saving Inheritance Tax (IHT) or avoiding care home bills. However, as any good lawyer will tell you, and as a High Court case clearly showed, the wisdom of such
