Latest Legal News
A man has been banned from acting as a company director for 10 years after breaching the rules of a scheme designed to support businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. The man, who was the sole director of a construction company, applied in 2020 for a...
The High Court has ruled that a financial remedies order requiring a husband to transfer his half share of the former matrimonial home to his wife could not stand because he had been made bankrupt by the time it was made. The couple had separated in 2017,...
The Upper Tribunal (UT) has granted a social housing provider's application to modify a restrictive covenant so as to allow it to proceed with a residential property development. The relevant land was sold in 1975 subject to a conveyance limiting its use...
The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has updated its statistics on data security incidents to include the first quarter of 2024. There were 2,970 incidents reported to the ICO in Q1 2024, an increase of 21 per cent from the same quarter in 2023. The...
When making decisions about where and with whom a child should live, the courts will prioritise the welfare of the child and will take the child's own views into consideration where appropriate. In a recent case, the High Court rejected a father's...
The passage of time does not necessarily prevent partners from revisiting partnership accounts that they believe are inaccurate. The High Court demonstrated the point in directing that a number of errors in a family partnership's accounts be corrected. In...
Under Section 20 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 , landlords must consult with leaseholders before carrying out works on a building that will cost any one leaseholder more than £250, or risk being unable to recover any costs above that amount....
In a recent intellectual property case with wider implications in terms of directors' liability , the Supreme Court ruled that two directors of a wholesaler of clothing, footwear and headgear that infringed another clothing business's trade marks were not...
A recent decision of the Court of Appeal in a big money divorce case clarified how the sharing principle should be applied and when assets are subject to it. The couple had married in 2005. The husband had had a successful career in financial services...
The Upper Tribunal (UT) has upheld a decision of the First-tier Tribunal (FTT) that 'Mega Marshmallows' are not confectionery and are therefore zero-rated for VAT. A wholesaler of American sweets and treats which supplied Mega Marshmallows was issued with...
Tenants who are faced with unexpected demands in respect of repair costs would be well advised to seek legal advice. In a recent case, leaseholders of units of student accommodation successfully argued that they were not liable to pay service charges in...
While the courts have a range of powers to set aside orders, they will only exercise them in limited circumstances. In a somewhat surprising case that has attracted much comment, the High Court declined to set aside a final order of divorce that had been...
Disputes about rights of way often arise between owners of neighbouring residential properties, but can also be an issue for property developers. In a recent case, a property company successfully applied for declaratory relief that current and likely future...
When attempting to resolve a dispute, careful drafting of any agreement is essential to protect your position in the event of further argument. A recent High Court case concerned whether a settlement of adjudication enforcement proceedings prevented one of...
Companies engaged in projects that qualify as research and development (R&D) can claim significant Corporation Tax deductions on qualifying expenditure. However, the rules on what qualifies as R&D are comprehensive and it will be necessary to show...
Comparative advertising, where a product is advertised in a way that references a competitor's product, is only permitted subject to conditions laid down in Regulation 4 of the Business Protection from Misleading Marketing Regulations 2008 . In a recent...
Disagreements between separating couples all too often result in litigation that substantially reduces the assets available to them, as was illustrated by a case that recently reached the High Court. At issue was whether awards made by arbitrators in...
The Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 gives leaseholders the right to buy the freehold of their properties in certain circumstances, a process known as collective enfranchisement. While landlords may not welcome leaseholders...
When divorcing couples disagree on how assets should be divided, the courts will seek to arrive at a fair outcome for both parties. In deciding how the proceeds of sale of a former couple's home should be apportioned, the Family Court agreed with the wife...
After a company has been purchased, any allegations that the seller is in breach of warranties given to the purchaser are likely to require careful determination. That point was illustrated recently when the High Court refused a businessman's application to...
The Court of Appeal has ruled on a dispute between supermarket giants Lidl and Tesco, upholding the decision of the High Court that signs used in a promotion run by Tesco amounted to trade mark infringement and passing off. In September 2020, Tesco began...
Landlords would be well advised to ensure all records regarding their properties are kept up to date. Recently, however, the Upper Tribunal (UT) agreed with a residential landlord that she had a reasonable excuse for failing to comply with an Improvement...
Supplies between companies in the same VAT group are disregarded for VAT purposes by virtue of Section 43(1)(a) of the Value Added Tax Act 1994 . A case that recently reached the Court of Appeal concerned whether this disregard applies if the supplying...
In law, adopted children are regarded as having been born to their adoptive parents. The Family Division of the High Court recently considered whether that fact precluded a parental order being granted under the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008...
When partners resign or retire from a partnership, the partnership agreement will normally govern their rights and responsibilities following their resignation. However, where the terms of their departure are not agreed, are they entitled to the value of...
It is not uncommon for neighbours with a shared right of way to be in dispute.
That could be the result of an annoying neighbour parking vans on a shared route into a commercial estate, or someone storing items blocking the path leading to your residential home. When you challenge the relevant individual, the answer invariably comes back: “It is my right of way too.”
Rather than out of sight, out of mind, these disputes are almost always in sight and on your mind, because you may see your neighbour every day. It is therefore essential to obtain quick, effective legal advice on your options so that the situation does not escalate or continue.
If a neighbour is interfering with your right of way, the Court can generally award you one or more of the following remedies in a legal action known as “private nuisance.”
- An injunction forcing your neighbour to cease the relevant interference. If the neighbour breaches an injunction, they may have to pay a fine or could even go to prison.
- A declaration from the Court as to the extent of the right of way.
- Damages from the Court for any financial loss you have suffered as a result of the interference. This is especially essential for businesses who may suffer significant losses if they are unable to access their premises due to an interference with a right of way.
- The Court could grant you the power to lawfully remove an item blocking the right of way. This is a crucial remedy in circumstances where the relevant neighbour may not be engaging with the legal process.
However, in order for a private nuisance claim to succeed, you will need to demonstrate to the Court that the interference with your right of way is “substantial.” You will almost certainly need independent legal advice on whether your circumstances pass that threshold test.
If a neighbour or anyone else is interfering with your right of way, please don’t hesitate to contact our George Gwynn for an initial no obligation conversation on 0121 355 0011 or at George.Gwynn@belllax.com.
