1 December 2016
Who is liable for the acts of a fraudulent vendor?
P&P Property Limited –v– (1) Owen White & Catlin LLP (2) Crownvent Limited t/a Winkworth [2016] EWHC 2276 (Ch):
This case serves as a welcome decision for professionals when considering where to pin the blame (and liability) in circumstances where a vendor in a property transaction turns out to be fraudulently impersonating the true owner.
25 August 2016
Where your heads are at (Where your heads are at) …
As a real estate lawyer and music fan I sometimes find myself turning to lyrics for inspiration. For example, nothing can explain the problem of not getting heads of terms right quite as snappily as the following lyrics in Basement Jaxx’s 2001 hit Where’s your head at: “you may find yourself trapped in the incomprehensible maze, where's your head at, you don't make it easy on yourself ….”
28 July 2016
Government publishes guidance on changes to tax relief for residential landlords
In Budget 2016 the Government announced that from April 2017 the tax relief that landlords of residential properties get for finance costs will be restricted to the basic rate of income tax. On 20 July 2016, the new guidance was published and is summarised here.
6 October 2015
CDM Regulations 2015 – It’s time to say farewell to CDM Co-ordinators
6 October 2015 marks the end of the six-month transitional period under the CDM Regulations 2015, which was granted by legislators to Clients (i.e. persons “for whom a project is carried out”) to allow them to replace CDM Co-ordinators appointed prior to 6 April 2015. As of 6 October 2015, the role of the CDM Co-ordinator (pursuant to the CDM Regulations 2007) ceases to exist. All Clients must have terminated any CDM Co-ordinators appointments and brought Principal Designers (“PD”) on-board. Please note that Principal Designers must be appointed in writing for projects with more than one contractor (this may mean one main contractor and a sub-contractor) (see regulation 5.1).
25 August 2015
Building contracts: The importance of accurate and clear Interim Applications and Pay Less Notices
The recent decision of Mr Justice Akenhead in Henia and Beck Interiors ([2015] EWHC 2433 (TCC)), provides some helpful guidance regarding the validity of Interim Applications for Payment and Pay Less Notices