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Offering the world or accepting an overly-onerous deal... Is there another way? Applicants for new premises licences are expected to offer conditions in their operating schedule which demonstrate the appropriate steps necessary to promote the four licensing...
It is established law that no court will lend its aid to a man who founds his cause of action upon an immoral or illegal act and it is an argument often used by defendants, to say that they should not have to pay out what a claimant is seeking to recover, where...
Following on from our last blog on business property relief (BPR), a similar and equally as useful relief for inheritance tax is agricultural property relief. When calculating tax on an estate: Agricultural property relief is applied first; and BPR is applied to any...
The Consumer Rights Act 2015 came into force on 1 October 2015, replacing three major pieces of consumer legislation, namely the: Sale of Goods Act 1979; Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts regulations; and Supply of Goods and Service. The aim of the Consumer Rights...
LANDLORDS: NEW DUTIES TO IMPROVE THE ENERGY EFFICIENCY OF YOUR PROPERTY If you are the current Landlord of a Commercial or Residential Property or even if there is only a possibility that you may consider renting out your property in the future, you must be aware of a...
On the face of it, inheritance tax appears to be huge at 40%. However, there are things which do in effect reduce the amount of tax payable. Probably the most widely known is the nil rate band and the new residence nil rate band soon to be introduced next year....
Unpaid Invoices In today’s business world it is unfortunately common practice for invoices to remain unpaid for considerable amounts of time beyond their specified payment terms. Unsurprisingly, the aim of the vast majority of our clients is to recover as much of...
I am purchasing an additional property, how does stamp duty work? From 1st April 2016, the government introduced a stamp duty for people who already own a property and are purchasing an additional property. This means that you have to pay stamp duty at the normal rate...
What is a Party Wall? A party wall is a wall that divides a building between two owners (e.g. the vertical wall between two neighbouring terraced houses). There are however, other forms of party walls such as a party fence or a party structure. Party fence – this...
The Court of Appeal has recently given leave to a man to challenge his ex-mother in law’s will in the case of Randall v Randall. Facts of the case Colin and Hilary Randall divorced in 2006 and as part of the settlement, Mrs Randall would be able to retain £100,000...
Contracts are often hotly negotiated, involving numerous rounds of offer and counter offer. While there is undoubtedly a commercial advantage to both parties negotiating the best possible deal, if the parties are not careful, these rounds of offer and counter offer...
A new home is probably to be one of the most expensive purchases you will make during your lifetime. Besides the property itself, you will have likely heard of other costs you may incur. Whether you are a first time buyer, or you are just unsure about the costs of...
Can someone sign a contract on my behalf? We are often approached by individuals who are confused as to whether they can be bound into contracts or liable for the debts of their spouse or other family members. The truth is that we are all separate individuals...
Whilst people may prepare a will to deal with their affairs, unfortunately a lot of people may simply forget about it for years to come. It is vastly important that these documents are regularly reviewed to take account of any changes to your personal circumstances,...
What do I need to know about the termination or renewal of a business lease? Whether you are a landlord or a tenant of a commercial property let for business use, it is important to know your rights on the termination or renewal of the lease. Normally under the...
Architects are instructed to provide various services over and above drawing plans for developments. They are often instructed to apply for planning permissions and to supervise projects alongside builders and sub-contractors, often signing-off various stages of a...
The Figures The charity Citizens Advice has recently released their figures showing a sharp increase in the number of people phoning for advice on issues where someone has died without leaving a will (dying intestate): Year Queries 2011 1,522 2012 1,942 2013 2,626...
What is adverse possession of land and how can I obtain it? The majority of land in the UK is registered at the Land Registry and property owners should be familiar with the boundaries of their land. However, there are some instances where land remains unregistered...
A well-known person in the entertainment business breathed a sigh of relief last week as their extra-marital sexual activities were ordered to be kept under wraps. The Supreme Court last week allowed an appeal against the Court of Appeal’s decision to set aside an...
Following on from Enforcing Judgements: 1/2, in part two, we will be looking at: Third Party Debt Orders; Orders for Committal; and Insolvency, as enforcement options when facing a situation whereby you have acquired a judgement but your opponent is not complying with...
In this two part series, we discuss the options when facing a situation whereby you have acquired a judgment but your opponent is not complying with the order of the Court. In part one, we look at: Charging Orders; Writs and Warrants of Control;and Attachment of...
We receive enquiries many clients who are owed money by third parties - companies, partnerships and individuals. Monies can be owed for one or more of any number of reasons – rent arrears (commercial or residential), contractual debts, judgment debts, book debts,...
Having a buy to let property can be a good way to bring in an extra income stream. However, what can and should you do if your tenant stops paying their rent? Telephone the tenant As a first port of call, give your tenant a call or pop round to the property to speak...
You may have read about the ongoing issues regarding the estate of the late US music superstar, Prince. It appears that he did not leave a will, a fact that is already causing problems. It appears that nobody knows for certain if he made a will or not, which with a...
If you are thinking of renovating or extending your property, you must have the necessary planning permission from your Local Authority to do so. Planning permission: when is it needed? Generally, planning permission is required if you want to build something new,...
In the final article of our series on Statutory Demands, we discuss setting aside a statutory demand. How to dispute a statutory demand It is often the case, that where a statutory demand has been served on a debtor, the debtor wishes to dispute its validity. In...
It is often frustrating for creditors to have to wait months on end for payment of outstanding debts. Waiting for a County Court money claim to be dealt with can often take many months and the period of time which elapses between commencement and determination of...
This article is the first in a short series of articles concerning statutory demands and personal insolvency. Help! I'm owed money! In the current financial climate creditors pursuing debtors for money are increasingly keen for outstanding balances to be paid in a...
What's going on? This month has seen a further update to the CPR announced. The Civil Procedure (Amendment) Rules 2016 will, in the main, came into force on 6 April 2016 after being laid before Parliament on 25 February 2016. What has changed? The changes to the CPR...
A local authority has seen its decision to revoke a restaurant’s Premises Licence challenged in the High Court. East Lindsey District Council decided to revoke the Premises Licence at Zara’s Restaurant after it was discovered that the restaurant was employing an...
