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QUESTION I own a leasehold ground floor flat with concrete floors. I recently had an under floor water leak which was quickly traced to a faulty dishwasher connection. Initially it seemed possible that the Karndean vinyl flooring, which was showing no damage, might have needed taking up to investigate. The buildings insurance for the flats only covers me for trace and access if there is damage. As there was none visible I would not have been able to claim and emergency home cover would not have covere

Issue 95 of News on the Block has now been published.  This issue includes some of the following articles: Landmark judgment passed down following appeals in two cases Unravelling complexities in tax clearance Right to Manage: are you compliant?  Defeating the claim to appurtenant land  Will Commonhold take hold? Grenfell: one year on! Enfranchisement & Right to Manage Awards 2018 - winners announced!  and more... Please click the download link below to read this issue.

A fire at a high-rise in London and another at a block in Glasgow broke out on the morning of the first anniversary of the Grenfell tragedy.   Eight people were treated for smoke inhalation after a fire in a kitchen in a 14th floor flat at Commercial Court, in the Gorbals area of Glasgow.   Alan Fairbairn, the area manager of the Scottish fire and rescue service, said the blaze was contained within an hour.   Hours earlier, at 4:14am, about 180 people fled their homes when fire broke out on the 12th floor

The firefighter who led the response to the Grenfell blaze had no knowledge of how the inferno was burning out of control and was not trained in reversing “stay put” advice. Watch manager Michael Dowden, who broke down in tears while giving evidence to the public inquiry into the blaze, said he had never experienced a fire like Grenfell.   He told the inquiry that on his way to the blaze, crew manager Christopher Secrett had radioed to say the fourth floor kitchen fire that started the inferno had been pu

As a flat owner you might not consider the effects on your flat in an area that is prone to flooding as much as a house owner would. After all, surely flood water won’t reach any levels above the ground. However, buying a flat in a flood risk area is actually an important factor to consider whatever level your flat is on. What are the downsides? Even a flat owner above the ground floor will often find they have a higher contents insurance rate to pay in a high risk flood area unless you shop around for an

Stuart Jackson and Michael Sims MIRPM AssocRICS have teamed up and launched Jackson Sims Recruitment, a new boutique property recruitment firm servicing the specific needs of the leasehold environment. With a combined 18 years' experience and excellent track records in sourcing talent, they will continue to offer the same solutions on a more personal level. Stuart Jackson commented: “The idea of setting up our own firm came from the oversights, and missed opportunities we witnessed working for larger unfo

Brethertons are delighted to announce that Roger Hardwick, Partner in Residential Leasehold, has won both the Solicitor of the Year Award and the Regional Professional of the Year Award at the Enfranchisement and Right to Manage Awards. Brethertons was also highly commended in the Solicitors Firm of the Year category.   The Enfranchisement and Right to Manage Awards, which celebrated its 10th Anniversary this year, took place on Thursday 7 th June 2018 in London. The highly prestigious event celebrates su

Principle Estate Management has brought in experienced chartered surveyor and estate management expert Joe Jobson as a director. He joins Principle founder Brett Williams in the Birmingham-based practice from 1 June. Joe Jobson said: “I have worked closely with Brett Williams over a number of years and we are likeminded as far as business goes. We both seek to build sustainable, long term relationships with clients and respect each other’s professionalism and commitment. “These are exciting times to be ba

Bishop & Sewell, a leading full service Central London law firm, announces the appointment of Charles Green as a Partner and Head of Immigration with immediate effect. Charles is a UK qualified Solicitor with over 22 years’ experience in immigration law, encompassing Private Client, Corporate, Litigation and International Protection work. Charles began his immigration career in the mid-1990s when he joined an independent organisation in London offering legal advice and general representation to asylum see

After the tragedy at Grenfell a year ago, it fair to say that whilst lots of testing and thought has been put forward into what can be done to avoid this ever happening again, there has been little in terms of detail and very little actual hard evidence or advice to freeholders, property managers and lessees on what should be done right now. Fire Risk procedures and assessments have been quickly reviewed but as time has gone on it’s been clear that different buildings and locations present different chall

Stavros Markantonis, London East Area Manager of Millstream Management Services, was presented with the Institute of Residential Property Management (IRPM) Legal Award for his outstanding performance in its full membership exam.     Stavros’ mark of 82% was the highest score in the country last year, and he was presented with the special Legal Award at a recent IRPM members’ event.   Mark North of Bretherton’s Solicitors, who presented Stavros with his award, said:   “Brethertons has enjoyed a long stand

London councils and major developers should collaborate to build more mixed use developments in the capital to protect industrial land and increase the supply of homes, according to City Hall. Speaking at Travis Perkins’ summit to promote the mixed use model last week, London’s Deputy Mayor for Planning, Jules Pipe, encouraged councils and developers to build on the recommendations set out in the Mayor’s draft London Plan. The Deputy Mayor highlighted Travis Perkins’ two mixed use branches in London as su