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The Conveyancing Association (CA) has vowed to continue its fight to reform the leasehold transaction process, which it claims is fraught with delays and overcharging. The CA is campaigning to create a positive home-moving process, and says the government has its head in the sand on the issue. It has criticised the response to a question by Baroness Hayter in the House of Lords in which the Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG) said further regulation of landlords would be burdensome

A debt collection agency that specialises in recovering arrears of ground rent and service charges has launched a legal company to focus on landlord and tenant law. Property Debt Collection director Joe Tona has set up PDC Law after he struggled to source a legal service provider that shared his vision of spearheading technology in the sector. Joe says: “I am delighted to have taken what is the logical next step in establishing PDC Law and look forward to providing my clients with an unparalleled an

The  appointment of an RTM company would not prevent a landlord from developing his property, as long as he took “all reasonable steps to minimise disturbance to the management functions of the RTM, both during and after the works”, a court has decided. In Francia Properties v Aristou, Francia, the Court considered whether the landlord was entitled to develop a new flat on the roof space of a block called ‘The Optic’ in Battersea, south-west London. The landlord was granted planning permission in 20

Leading accountancy firm Whitley Stimpson, which has offices in Banbury, Bicester, Witney and High Wycombe, is experiencing strong growth and is investing in training new staff from its core areas. Director Malcolm Higgs said: “We are proud of the high level of service we offer to businesses and individuals and believe strongly that our success is largely due to our policy of employing people from the areas in which we operate and our commitment to training young people.” Over the last year the firm has r

PDC Law is a new ABS based in Hertfordshire, dealing exclusively in residential landlord and tenant matters including the collection of service charge arrears, residential disputes, lease extensions and collective enfranchisement. They are looking to recruit a qualified Solicitor with at least 3 years post qualification experience and the ability to supervise. The right candidate must be able to deal with the following areas unsupervised: • Lease extensions of flats and houses including conducting proceed

WHAT IS LICENCE? Under most residential leases a tenant is required to obtain consent from the landlord and/or the management company before making any alterations to his/her property. It's a simple process which is also known as “An Application for a Licence for Alterations”.   Whether or not consent (a licence to alter) is required will be determined by (i) the scope of works and (ii) what the lease says. In most leases, the landlord will place a restriction on the extent of alteration, extension or oth

The head of property management at Sheffield solicitors, Taylor&Emmet LLP, is being recognised nationally for her contribution to the construction industry. Cassandra Zanelli and her team have been selected as “Best for Property Management Litigation” at this year’s Women in BUILD Awards. The winner was chosen by a panel of eight independent construction industry experts and recognises the high quality advice Taylor&Emmet provides to landlords, agents and leaseholders, as well as its position as a leader

Window Replacements Offence:  Replacing original good quality timber windows with inappropriate modern aluminum or PVC-U casements and stripping out original period doors. Remedy:  If there is a genuine need to replace old / original windows due to aging, damage, windows or the windows and frames being beyond repair then seek advice (preferably from a chartered building surveyor).  There are some excellent products on the market which are now bringing together the requirements of the heritage boffins whil

As part of their vision to become the ‘legal firm of the future', Brethertons is delighted to announce four new partners within the firm. Interestingly, three of the partners are non-lawyers – an innovation allowed under the firm’s new Alternative Business Structure. This status also benefits clients by permitting the firm to offer a wider range of services than ordinary law firms.   Instrumental in this new path is Sally Jones, Deputy CEO, Chief Operating Officer and now Partner. In just one year, Sally’

Why would a company that’s growing year-on-year spend time and money at this busy time to revamp its brand? Isn’t brand just a gimmick? Something that design companies drag out to make a profit? More specifically, in our line of work, why does brand matter to Chartered Surveyors? The answer is to be found in that single word. Brand. It’s a much misused term. One that originally referred to the number burned into cattle to demonstrate ownership. And one that has been associated with a ‘mark’ or ‘logo’ e

To be or not to be an HMO? The law requires local authorities to maintain a licensing scheme for HMOs. HMOs are defined as those buildings which – and this is not an exhaustive list: Comprise three storeys or more; Are occupied by at least five persons; and Are occupied by persons living in two or more single households. In some instances local authorities have been given power to create their own schemes. Where there has been a failure by a landlord to obtain a licence, where required, it is an offe

Service Charges are a key area of friction between residents and property managers, and paying for unexpected repairs or maintenance can be a thorny issue for flat owners. Most well-managed blocks have reserves to call on when major refurbishment or repairs are needed, but for those unable to build up suitable funds – and obsolete equipment urgently needs replacing – residents are expected to put their hands in their pockets and split the cost. Imagine this scenario. You live in a small block of six flats