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Landlords operating a communal heating supply must act now!

Landlords of both commercial and residential buildings (including anything from small residential and commercial developments all the way to blocks of flats and shopping centres) which are heated, cooled or supplied with hot water from a central source and which have more than one tenant, each of which is paying for communal heating or cooling supplied by the landlord, may well be caught by the Heat Network (Metering and Billing) Regulations 2014. These regulations require landlords to provide technical details of the heating system or network to the National Measurement…

Top 5 things to check when investing in commercial property

Investing in commercial property can be an attractive proposal. From the point of view of returns on investment a commercial property can be a good choice. Rental yields for a commercial property are generally higher than a residential property and commercial lease periods are now returning to longer periods, providing a level of comfort for landlords. As the commercial sectors grow the requirement for office space will only increase. Before investing in commercial property, we suggest considering the following points: 1. Location Location, location, location. This can not be underestimated and is so important.…

Choosing the right legal structure for your business

Choosing a suitable legal structure for setting up your new business is a very important part of the process and a key decision to be made when you decide to start your business. In most cases you will want to choose between sole trader, partnership, limited company or limited liability partnership. There are other structures that can be used for social enterprises or not for profit businesses, but in this article we will focus on the four most common business structures. Sole Trader Setting up as a sole trader is…

Top FAQs from clients when making a will

Making a will is often overlooked and its importance underestimated. Regardless of the size of your estate you leave behind, a will can operate to dispose of it in accordance with your wishes. Below are a few of the most frequently asked questions from clients, answered by us, to hopefully shed some light on this often unspoken subject. I'm married with children - what happens to my estate if I don't make a will? If you have assets of less than £250,000, and die intestate (without making a will), then…

Partner Profile: Andrew Lester

In the second of our Partner Profile series we speak to Andrew Lester, Head of Employment Law here at Bowling & Co, to find out a bit more about him and the clients he acts for. 1. What aspects of law first attracted you to the industry? The arguments and having to present these arguments in court. I also enjoy the other sectors of the legal industry and using my knowledge in these areas to complement employment advice I give to my clients. 2. What kind of clients do you work with? Mostly…

How do solicitors exchange contracts?

Contracts are usually exchanged by both solicitors/conveyancers reading out the contracts over the phone (which is recorded by both of them) to make sure the contracts are identical. The contracts are then immediately sent out by them to one another in the post. This is known as “exchange”. If you are in a chain, your lawyer will do the same thing. However, they will only release the contract to the lawyer acting for the party on the other side if all the other people in the chain are happy to…

Unregulated will writers lost me half my home

The daughter of a deceased man is seeking hundreds of thousands of pounds in compensation from the unregulated will-writing branch of a well known high street bank, claiming that the poorly drafted will has cost her a valuable stake in her father's London home. The deceased used the bank's low costing, unregulated will-writing service to dispose of the various assets held within his estate. The deceased had instructed that, upon his death, his daughter (the Claimant) would receive half of his London home. The property was owned as joint tenants, by the deceased…

Partner Profile: Peter Laskey

In the first of our Partner Profile series we speak to Peter Laskey, Head of Dispute Resolution here at Bowling & Co, to find out a bit more about him and the clients he acts for. 1. What aspect of law first attracted you to the industry? As my family will tell you I have always been argumentative so litigation appealed to me. 2. What kind of clients do you work with? I have a variety of clients ranging from large companies (both in England and abroad) through to individuals looking for guidance on how best to…

Service charges payable under leases

What is service charge? Essentially service charge is a payment made by the tenant to the landlord for costs that have been incurred in relation to services provided to the property. Charges may include costs associated with general maintenance, repairs, insurance, community central heating, lighting, cleaning of the common areas and gardening/landscaping. As a landlord am I obliged to provide services? This is subject to what the lease provides. Some leases will specify services that the landlord is required to provide. Others will mention which services the landlord may provide…

Cohabitation – protecting your interests

In a recent report by the Office of National Statistics, the number of cohabiting couples was shown to have increased significantly in the 10 years to 2013 and the number of couples opting to live together without getting married or entering into a civil partnership is only likely to increase over time. A common misconception is that there exists the legal principle of “common law” husband and wife which affords cohabiting couples similar rights to those of married couples. Unfortunately the reality is that no such legal principle exists and…

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