Latest Legal News
When registering a trade mark, it is vital to conduct a comprehensive check that you are not treading on the toes of others who may have got there before you. The point was made by a High Court case concerning two technology repair companies that applied...
The wrench of a child leaving home is a tough experience for many parents and that can be particularly so when the child is disabled. However, as a Court of Protection case showed , not even parents are entitled to stand in the way of their offspring...
Worldwide freezing injunctions (WFIs) are powerful judicial tools that can have a grave impact on the lives of those against whom they are targeted. However, as a High Court ruling made plain , they are a necessary means of ensuring that assets are not...
Those involved in the hospitality or retail trade who suppress their cash takings with a view to avoiding tax must live in fear that the next person to walk through the door will be a tax inspector. As a case concerning a takeaway restaurant showed , such...
Tenants of commercial premises are often subject to rigorous repair obligations and are required to hand them back at the end of their leases in a similar condition to that in which they found them. In one High Court case, a hotel operator who failed to...
As demand for personal protective equipment exploded at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the business community leapt to the pumps. However, in the context of knife-edge negotiations for the supply of millions of surgical face masks, the High Court has...
Divorcees who are unwilling to give ground and negotiate responsibly with a view to achieving a financial settlement with their ex-spouses are highly likely to pay a stiff price for their lack of flexibility. The High Court emphasised the point in a...
Much of England's green and pleasant land is protected against all but agricultural forms of development. However, as one case showed, the relentless pressure to build more new homes means that such restrictions may not be written in stone. The case...
Public contract tendering exercises are meant to ensure fairness, transparency and, not least, value for taxpayers' money. However, as a case concerning the award of an NHS contract all too clearly showed , they can sometimes go horribly wrong. A provider...
International trading companies are expected to carry out careful due diligence on their clients and suppliers to ensure that they avoid unwitting involvement in tax fraud. However, in relieving a long-established business of multi-million-pound VAT...
Businesses that shoulder the vast marketing effort and expense of turning their trade marks into household names can take effective legal steps to prevent competitors obtaining a free ride on their cherished reputations. Well-known energy drinks manufacturer...
No one should be surprised to hear that, when a same-sex couple have a child following lawful IVF treatment, each of them has a right to be registered as the child's legal parent. However, as a High Court case showed , whilst the law has generally kept pace...
A temporary pavement licensing regime that was introduced to enable al fresco dining at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic has been extended by the Government. Initially put in place via the Business and Planning Act 2020 , the measure was intended to...
The franchising model enables many people to achieve their ambition of setting up in business on their own account. However, as a High Court case showed , it is vital not to let your heart rule your head and such an enterprise should never be ventured...
Some divorcees drag their feet in a misguided attempt to put off the hour when they must divide their assets with their ex-partners. However, a case involving a husband who caused costly delay when he asserted that he had COVID-19 showed that family judges...
When companies experience cashflow difficulties, stressed directors all too often prioritise trade and other creditors over HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). As a tax tribunal ruling showed, however, such a course is almost never wise and is highly likely to...
Britain's high streets have changed immeasurably in recent decades and many once proud buildings are no longer attractive to retailers. An Upper Tribunal (UT) ruling in the context of a business rates dispute reflected that sad history of decline. The...
In modern offices where CCTV is ubiquitous and partition walls are flimsy there is an obvious risk of commercially sensitive conversations being overheard. In a guideline decision, the High Court pondered the legal consequences of such an incident . Two...
In a unique decision arising from a woman's tragic death when pregnant with twins, the High Court gave posthumous effect to her longstanding wish to have a child by granting her bereaved husband permission to make use of an embryo stored in a fertility...
No one would be surprised to hear that late filing of a tax return is likely to result in a financial penalty – but what if a return is submitted too early? In addressing that novel issue, the First-tier Tribunal (FTT) identified flaws in guidance...
In a commercial context, information is power and it can be a crushing disadvantage if confidential data finds its way into the wrong hands. However, as a High Court case showed , there are powerful steps that specialist lawyers can take to ensure that the...
Your neighbours owe you a duty of care and, if they cause a nuisance that results in you suffering financial loss, you are entitled to compensation in full. The point was made by the case of a landowner whose development hopes were stymied by flooding...
Justice that can be accessed only by the super-rich is not justice at all. A High Court judge made that point in noting that financial remedy proceedings in divorce cases are fast heading for Ritz Hotel status – affordable only by the well-heeled...
Contracts for the sale of goods almost always stipulate a date by which payment must be made. However, as a High Court ruling concerning the sale of a classic Ferrari racing car made plain , it does not necessarily follow that the timing of payment is of...
Antique restrictive covenants are found in the title deeds of many period properties and can have a deadening effect on development opportunities. However, as an Upper Tribunal (UT) ruling showed , they are not written in stone. A large suburban house was...
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.
