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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…

Deregulation Act 2015 and what it means for landlords

Over the last few years it has been widely reported in the media that the country has a housing crisis. With more and more people moving into rented accommodation, protecting tenants’ interests against rogue landlords has been high on the government’s agenda. Lobbyists have been calling for better protection for tenants, and landlords and practitioners have been requesting clarification on landlord’s responsibilities concerning the protection of tenant deposits. We reported last month that the House of Lords were to discuss the Deregulation Bill. The Bill received Royal Assent on 26…

5 ways to improve your office space

There are a wide variety of changes that can be made to create an ideal office space and you don't necessarily have to spend a large amount of money to achieve it. Simple changes such as the following can make a big difference: 1. Comfort It is often thought that when working conditions for staff are uncomfortable staff wellbeing and productivity decrease. However, if people feel comfortable in their place of work this could lead to higher productivity. Small things to improve could include: lighting, air conditioning or climate control, even comfortable…

I want it in writing!

To create a legally binding contract there must be in place the following four key elements: An offer to enter into a contract from one party to the other; Acceptance of the offer; Intention of the parties to create legal relations; and Consideration - being something (often money) in exchange for what is being offered. With the exception of contracts for land in English Law, there is no requirement for a contract to be in writing, and a verbal contract is just as valid as a written one. Verbal contracts,…

Selective Licensing

The London Borough of Waltham Forest has given notice that the borough will be designated for selective licensing starting today, 1 April 2015. Where a property is a house in multiple occupation and licensed as such, selective licensing will not be required. Once selective licensing comes into force, any person operating a licensable property without a license will be guilty of an offence under section 95(1) of the Housing Act 2004 and shall be liable to prosecution. When managing your rental properties, please be aware that in order to issue…

Terms and conditions must be clearly stated to apply

Battle of forms highlights a hard truth for company contracts Two companies who went to court in an argument over whose terms and conditions applied to a contract between them, have both lost out. The ruling from the High Court has said that neither company made enough efforts to deliver up their terms and conditions to the other side, leaving both without a leg to stand on in a dispute over a supply of rubber gaskets. The dispute arose between Transformers & Rectifiers Ltd and Needs Ltd. Needs argued that…

Buying a property at auction

The main attraction of buying at auction is that you avoid the conventional drawn out process of purchasing a property. A variety of properties can be purchased at auction including residential, commercial, plots of land and freehold investment properties. When preparing for auction it is important to consider the following points: Contact the relevant auction house and request their catalogue. Most auction houses hold regular auction sales with a catalogue printed some weeks in advance. You can also subscribe to catalogue mailing lists. Most auction houses now publish online catalogues…

Budget 2015 – The key points

George Osborne's March 2015 Budget has been announced today and below we have summarised the key points of this year's Budget: The new Help to Buy ISAs effectively give investors tax relief on a cash ISA investment for home buying. The Government will provide a £50 bonus for every £200 of monthly savings up to a maximum of £3,000 on £12,000 of savings. The scheme is for first time home-buyers on houses worth up to £450,000 in London and £250,000 elsewhere in the UK. The aim is to start the scheme…

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