Tenant not liable after sub-tenant unlawfully evicted by landlord
September 20th 2022The High Court has overturned a decision that a tenant was liable to pay damages to his sub-tenant after she was unlawfully evicted by the property owner. Natalie Tatton, Solicitor in our dispute team provides an update. Mr Brem rented a hairdressing salon from the property owner Mr Marchant, with the agreement that he could also make use of the flat upstairs. Brem sub-let the flat to a member of his salon staff,…
Employer entitled to dismiss consultant who didn’t disclose bankruptcy
September 16th 2022An Employment Tribunal has ruled that an estate agent was entitled to dismiss a financial consultant for failing to disclose his bankruptcy, despite the absence of an express policy requiring such disclosure. Joanne Stronach Director and Head of Employment & HR reports on this recent case. Mr K Pubbi was employed as a financial consultant by Your-Move.co.uk, an estate agency which also arranges mortgages and offers various insurance products. Pubbi took…
Many leaseholders who paid double ground rent to get refund
September 14th 2022Thousands of leaseholders who paid double ground rent are to receive refunds following action by the Competition and Mergers Authority (CMA). Elizabeth Crouch Senior Associate Solicitor & Head of Residential Property provides an update. The CMA has secured undertakings from nine companies that bought freeholds from housing developer Taylor Wimpey. A further four national developers – Crest Nicholson, Redrow, Miller Homes and Vistry – have also agreed to work with the…
Employers need to be aware of changes to fit note rules, says leading employment lawyer
September 13th 2022EMPLOYERS across the UK are being made aware of recent changes allowing more health professionals to issue fit notes. To reduce pressures on doctors, particularly GPs, the Government added registered nurses, occupational therapists, pharmacists and physiotherapists to the list of professionals who can certify fit notes providing evidence to employers about a person’s absence if they have been off work with illness for seven days or more. Joanne Stronach, Head…
Leading solicitors helps lay alliance’s legal foundations for £4m contract wins
September 9th 2022A LEADING Cumbrian law firm is celebrating one of its client’s winning contracts worth more than £4million. Collaboration and joint ventures are becoming ever more prevalent for SMEs looking to combine their skills and expertise to bid for major industry contracts across a range of sectors. In order to meet the needs of those awarding the contracts and to make successful bids, specific legal frameworks often need to be set…
Government urged to provide better protection for cohabiting couples
September 8th 2022The government is being urged to introduce reforms to provide better legal protection for cohabiting couples if their relationship breaks down. Amy Fallows Senior Associate Solicitor & Head of our family law team reports. The number of cohabiting couples has more than doubled in the past generation with 1.5m in 1996, compared to 3.6m in 2021. Do cohabiting couples have rights The House of Commons Women and Equalities Committee says there is a…
Sharp rise in number of firms facing insolvency and financial distress
September 5th 2022The number of firms going out of business or facing serious financial distress has risen sharply this year, according to the latest figures. Carly Davies, our Debt Control Manager reports. The Insolvency Service says there were 5,629 corporate insolvencies in Q2, an increase of 12.7% compared to Q1’s figures of 4,995, and an increase of 81.3% compared to Q2 2021 (3,105). Meanwhile, the Red Flag Alert produced by the recovery, financial advisory,…
House prices rise 11% over the year but slowdown may be looming
September 1st 2022House prices rose by 11% in the year to July, according to the latest figures from the Nationwide Building Society. However, increases in interest rates and the rising cost of living crisis could lead to a slowdown. Sam Bulman Conveyancer in our Residential Property team reports. That slowdown may already be starting as the increase in prices between June and July was only 0.1%. The average house now costs £271,209. Nationwide’s…
Fashion designer subjected to age discrimination awarded £96k
August 25th 2022A fashion designer in her early fifties who was passed over for promotion has been awarded £96,000 after making an age discrimination claim. Joanne Stronach Director and Head of Employment & HR reports on this recent case. The case involved Rachel Sunderland, who had worked as a knitwear specialist for Superdry since 2015. Sunderland had 30 years’ experience in the industry and had worked for well-known brands such as Fang Bros and Boden…
Supporters of Max the Miracle Dog help raise £45,000 for charity which saved brave girl’s life
August 22nd 2022THE family of a brave nine-year-old girl have been overwhelmed by the generosity of supporters of a charity walk in memory of Max the Miracle Dog after £45,000 was raised for the air ambulance crew which saved their daughter’s life. In September 2015, two-year-old Ava Pearson, of Southwaite, north of Penrith, was given just hours to live after she sustained life threatening injuries when the car she was travelling in…
