Ambitious solicitor delighted to join dynamic Cumbrian firm
September 6th 2019LEADING legal firm Cartmell Shepherd has recruited an ambitious solicitor to further strengthen its team. Natalie Tatton joins the UK200 Group business as a solicitor in its dispute resolution department. Natalie, a former law graduate of the University of Cumbria, had previously trained with Brockbanks in West Cumbria at the same time as completing her Legal Practice Course at Northumbria University. Natalie qualified as a solicitor in May 2018. Based…
Landlord wins dispute with tenant over service charge for insurance
September 5th 2019By Natalie Tatton Solicitor A landlord has won a dispute with a tenant over service charges for insurance dating back nearly 15 years. The case involved a tenant who held the lease of a flat in a building comprising of three flats and a commercial unit. Under the lease, the tenant covenanted to contribute one-sixth of the building’s specified costs and expenses, including insurance, through the service charge. Between 2005…
Help to Buy scheme to start allowing 35-year mortgages
September 2nd 2019By Elizabeth Crouch Head of Residential Conveyancing Homeowners buying a property under Help to Buy are now allowed to take out 35-year mortgages. The government has moved to close what it describes as a loophole, which has seen purchasers using the scheme facing difficulties and uncertainty if they wanted to take out a mortgage with a term of more than 25 years. Under the changes, which are taking effect immediately,…
Family Business Network announces exclusive insight event with Chairman of prominent family-owned Cumbrian business
August 29th 2019The Family Business Network has announced an exclusive evening event; ‘An Audience with Peter Hensman OBE’, which is set to take place at the Percival Lecture Theatre in Ambleside on Wednesday 11th September. Peter Hensman OBE is widely known and respected throughout Cumbria and beyond for his role as Chairman of one of the county’s largest tourism and leisure businesses, Lake District Estates. With a compelling history dating back to…
More additions to ‘Good Work Plan’ to protect low-paid workers
August 20th 2019By Claire Davies Director The government has introduced a new set of additions to its ‘Good Work Plan’ which aims to increase the rights of workers. Some of the key elements of the scheme include: workers to be given enhanced rights to tackle unscrupulous employers who do not comply with the law a new body that will enforce holiday pay for vulnerable workers and ensure agency workers are not underpaid…
Agency worker not entitled to same hours as permanent employee
August 15th 2019By Joanne Stronach Head of Employment & HR An agency worker has lost his claim that he should be entitled to the same number of working hours as a permanent member of staff. Dominik Kocur was employed by recruitment company Angard Staffing Solutions, who provided staff for Royal Mail. Kocur regularly worked alongside permanent members of Royal Mail staff, performing similar duties. However, whereas the Royal Mail workers were guaranteed…
Couple can sue PwC for professional negligence despite time delay
August 12th 2019A couple have been granted permission to take accountancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers to court in a professional negligence claim. Sir Christopher and Lady Anne Evans hired PwC in 2001 to advise them on ways to avoid capital gains tax on the disposal of shares. They were encouraged to use a “round the world” scheme, which involved the trust becoming resident for part of the tax year in a jurisdiction that did…
Government to strengthen sexual harassment laws
August 7th 2019By Claire Davies Director The government is look for ways to strengthen the law to give employees more protection from sexual harassment. It is launching a consultation and is inviting victims to have their say on what sort of changes would be beneficial. One of the things being considered is how to strengthen and clarify the law to give explicit protections against third party harassment. It had been thought that…
Landlord was entitled to give tenant only two months’ notice
August 5th 2019By Mark Aspin Director & Head of Dispute Resolution The Court of Appeal has ruled that a landlord was within his rights to end a tenancy agreement without giving his tenant the six-month notice period required under the Housing Act 1988. The tenant, Sarah Bamber, had agreed a seven-year tenancy on the property, which included a 12-month starter period. During this starter period, the agreement stated that the tenancy could…
UK house prices jumped 0.7% between March and April
July 31st 2019By Elizabeth Crouch Head of Residential Conveyancing The latest House Price Index figures show that the cost of an average home in the UK jumped 0.7% between March and April. The annual rise to April was 1.4%, bringing the cost of the average property to £228,903. In England, the annual rise was 1.1%, with the average property costing £245,128. The regional data for England shows that: the North East experienced…
