New 95% mortgages for first-time buyers and existing homeowners
May 20th 2021The government’s new scheme to help people buy a home with a 95% mortgage has now come into effect. Mandy Shum Conveyancer in our property team provides an update. It means buyers can now get on the property ladder even if they only have a 5% deposit. The mortgages are available to both first-time buyers and existing homeowners for houses costing up to £600,000. The government will offer lenders the…
Leaseholders not liable for cost of repairing structural defects
May 17th 2021The Court of Appeal has ruled that a group of leaseholders were not responsible for the cost of repairs if those repairs also made good fundamental structural defects in their properties. Natalie Tatton Solicitor reports on this recent case. The leases related to flats situated in a large block constructed in 1957. They were for 125-year terms and were originally granted under the right to buy provisions in the Housing…
Business Commissioner to prioritise crackdown on late payments
May 12th 2021The newly appointed Small Business Commissioner is to spearhead a national effort to crack down on late payment of invoices – which cause thousands of small businesses to close every year. Carly Davies Debt Recovery Manager provides an update. Former journalist Liz Barclay will be the first woman to hold the position, which was created in 2016 to help small businesses secure the payments owed to them and to galvanise UK…
What is the outlook for SMEs? Practical Guidance for SMEs looking to Futureproof their business
May 10th 202112 months on and we are still feeling the effects of the pandemic and will for some time. In March, immediately after the Chancellors latest budget, we asked SMEs across the UK to share their outlook for the next 12 months. The findings make for interesting reading – including: 46% of businesses with less than £250k turnover are expecting reduced income over the next 12 months. 67% of businesses with…
Landlord entitled to unpaid rent despite tenant’s Covid defence
May 4th 2021A commercial landlord has won a dispute over unpaid rent of more than £166,000 despite the tenant citing Covid-19 as the reason for its failure to pay. Stephanie Johnson Senior Associate Solicitor reports on this recent case. The case involved Commerz Real Investmentgesellschaft MBH and TFS Stores Ltd. Commerz was the leasehold owner of the Westfield Shopping Centre. TFS was the tenant of one of the units in the centre…
Time for businesses to look differently at mental health
May 4th 2021Thinking it over with Carol Fish Director & Head of Serious and Catastrophic Injury… AS more people prepare to return to offices and other workplaces as lockdown eases further over the coming weeks, now is the time for businesses and employers to be planning how to look after the welfare of their people. Some employees will be looking forward to getting back into workplaces and excited about interacting with their colleagues and…
Cleaner accused of ‘throwing a sicky’ was unfairly dismissed
April 28th 2021The Employment Tribunal has ruled that a cleaner was unfairly dismissed after she resigned because her employer accusing her of lying about her illness. Joanne Stronach Director & Head of Employment and HR reports on this recent case. The case involved Pamela Wynn Newcombe, who was employed by Machynlleth Town Council from 2013 to 2019. In 2017, she became involved in a dispute over plans to alter her working hours.…
Removing Children from their ‘habitual residence’
April 26th 2021Many clients don’t realise that children cannot be removed from the country they habitually reside in without both parents’ consent. Not only can it amount to child abduction (a crime) but the child is most likely to be returned to the home country. Taylor Chanter Solicitor reports on this recent case. Yet another case highlights that children should not be removed without consent or a court order. The wishes of…
Engineer too late to claim holiday pay from Pimlico Plumbers
April 21st 2021An engineer who won a landmark case that he should be classed as a worker at Pimlico Plumbers has lost his claim for backdated holiday pay. Joanne Stronach Director & Head of Employment and HR reports on this recent case. Gary Smith had worked for Pimlico as a heating engineer from 2005 to 2011. Throughout that period Pimlico regarded him as a self-employed independent contractor, without entitlement to paid annual…
Builders told to remove leasehold terms that trap homeowners
April 19th 2021Two major home builders have been told to remove contract terms that mean leaseholders have to pay ground rents that double every 10 or 15 years. Elizabeth Crouch Associate Solicitor & Head of Residential provides an update. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) launched enforcement action against 4 housing developers in September 2020. These included Countryside Properties and Taylor Wimpey, for using possibly unfair contract terms, and Barratt Developments and Persimmon…
