24 May 2018
Professional appointments on construction projects: Make sure to include clear termination provisions
The recent judgment of Redbourn Group Ltd v Fairgate Developments Ltd [2018] EWHC 658 highlights the importance, for a developer appointing a consultant to carry out services on a construction project, of ensuring the appointment terms are clear on: (a) circumstances entitling the developer to terminate the Consultant’s employment and (b) any amounts payable by the developer to the consultant on such termination.
21 May 2018
Tenant Fees Bill: What does it mean for tenants?
Private renting in England is at its highest rate for over thirty years. It houses 4.7 million households and is the second largest tenure after owner-occupation. Against this backdrop, the Government has come under increasing pressure to make renting a property as affordable as possible. In particular, upfront payments required of prospective tenants in the form of fees and security deposits have been viewed as a particular barrier to households seeking accommodation.
21 May 2018
Selling your premises to your pension fund – having your cake and eating it
Dentists, chiropractors, accountants and other professionals who own the premises from which they operate could benefit substantially from making their commercial premises an asset of their Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP).
16 May 2018
Property Fraud after Dreamvar v Mishcon De Reya
The Court of Appeal has handed down its much awaited judgment in what has become known as the ‘Dreamvar’ case (Dreamvar (UK) Ltd v Mishcon de Reya and others). The case is of interest to property and insurance professionals as well as the wider public as it concerned a fraudulent property transaction, an increasingly common occurrence. Given its importance to all conveyancing practitioners, but specifically smaller practices, the Law Society intervened so as to be able to make representations on behalf of the profession.
14 May 2018
Break no Mistake
The importance of obtaining legal advice when exercising a break right in a lease cannot be overstated. Despite the flurry of case law in this area in recent years, tenants are still getting their fingers burnt and finding themselves tied into leases, with all the associated commitments, having failed to comply strictly with the requirements of the lease. It can prove to be a very costly mistake to make for the sake of perhaps trying to save what were considered to be unnecessary legal fees.