Latest Legal News
Trade marks are a powerful means of protecting your unique brand, even against much larger or more prestigious potential competitors. In one case, a small clothing company which sold its wares under the name 'Bentley' scored a High Court win over household...
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) are warning self-assessment customers to be on alert for potential scams, as the 31 January tax return deadline approaches. HMRC's dedicated Customer Protection team is tasked with identifying and shutting down scams but the...
Most leases contain covenants that forbid tenants from doing certain things without their landlords' consent, such consent not to be unreasonably withheld. The meaning and effect of such provisions came under Supreme Court analysis in an important test...
Litigation can be long and bitter, but it is the prime objective of the justice system to eventually bring it to a satisfactory end. In a case on point, the High Court came to the aid of a husband in drawing a line under his divorce . The case concerned a...
Consumers do not always read labels, so the packaging of a product, and its colour in particular, can be crucial in establishing brand loyalty. In a guideline case, the High Court considered whether the purple livery shared by rival pharmaceutical products...
VAT can be reclaimed on motor vehicles that are used, and made available for use, solely for business purposes – but that can be extremely difficult to prove. In one case, however, a computer specialist was granted a £20,805 VAT rebate after...
It is a sad fact that sophisticated fraudsters can intercept emails or other digital traffic in order to divert payments away from their intended recipients – but where should losses arising from such deceit fall where there is more than one innocent...
Neighbourhood plans are an increasingly common means by which local people are given the chance to express their views on the future character and appearance of the areas where they live. However, in a legal first, the High Court ordered postponement of a...
Amidst the emotional and financial destruction that can arise from divorce, keeping a sense of proportion is crucial. The Court of Appeal made that point in lamenting a former couple's expenditure of more than £500,000 in legal costs fighting over an...
Businesses that store their clients' personal data are under a strict legal duty to keep it secure and any failure to do so is likely to have serious financial and reputational consequences. An estate agency whose negligence and technical ineptitude left the...
The introduction of the new VAT domestic reverse charge for construction services , originally due this October, has been postponed until October 2020. The extended timeframe comes after businesses in the construction sector raised concerns that they would...
In a case illustrating the importance of candour regarding financial circumstances in divorce proceedings, a husband who failed to disclose the true extent of his wealth to family judges was subsequently ordered to pay his ex-wife a seven-figure lump sum,...
In a recent property case that will have a bearing on all contractual matters, the High Court ruled that a footer automatically appended to an email amounted to a legal signature and led to a contract for the sale of land being formed. A couple who owned...
Shareholder disagreements as to the direction a company should take are generally fought out behind closed doors. However, as a High Court case concerning the future of a troubled pharmaceuticals company showed, judges are always there to act as umpires...
Patent protection is a valuable privilege that is only afforded to ideas and products that are genuinely novel and inventive. In a case on point, the High Court declared invalid two patents in respect of plastic food packaging on the basis that the central...
Family judges are always absolutely focused on the welfare of children and will not shrink from grasping nettles to give them the best chance of leading fulfilled and happy lives. That was certainly so in one case in which a judge ordered that a baby boy be...
Record employment levels mean strong demand for office space, but the need for more new homes is perhaps even more pressing. A case concerning proposals to convert an office block into 114 flats highlighted the difficulty of balancing those requirements. ...
It may seem obvious that no one can own a wild animal. However, in a novel case of interest to property professionals – and anglers – the High Court has ruled that there are nevertheless property rights in wild fish held in captivity in a...
Flat tenants in certain circumstances have the right to band together and acquire the freehold of the blocks in which they live. However, as a High Court decision showed , the process of doing so is replete with legal pitfalls and those who fail to take...
Public confidence in the civil justice system would collapse if court orders were not rigorously enforced – however agonising complying with them may be. The point was made by a case in which a divorcee who refused to move out of her home of 25 years...
Sometimes, it is difficult to understand why many people don't seem to put as much effort into making profits as they do into trying to avoid paying tax. Tax avoidance is a red rag to a bull as far as HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) are concerned. They have...
When you enter into a contract, you are agreeing to be bound by what it says, not by what you think it means. Only rarely, such as when the meaning would make no commercial sense, will the court substitute its own view of the meaning of the contract if the...
It may come as a surprise to many that local authorities are under no statutory obligation to give reasons for their planning decisions. However, as a High Court case concerning a residential development showed , a lack of explanation can render such...
There is almost nothing more frustrating for businesses than to see their successful products imitated by rivals. However, as a High Court case showed, expert lawyers are more than capable of putting a stop to such conduct if it amounts to a breach of...
Cohabiting couples are the fastest-growing family type in the UK, according to newly released figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS). The ONS reports that the number of cohabiting couple families continues to grow faster than the number 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.
