Home is where the heart is and the question of whether a property is your principal private residence for Capital Gains Tax (CGT) purposes depends, at least in part, on your intentions. An instructive case on point concerned a couple who made a house their home for only a few weeks before moving out again. […]
It makes sense for friends to club together so that they can buy properties they would be unable to afford by themselves. However, a cautionary High Court ruling showed that such arrangements are only wise if lawyers are consulted so that all concerned know exactly where they stand from the outset. The case concerned two […]
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) are big battalions by anyone’s standards, but their word is not law and, with expert legal assistance, they can sometimes be proved wrong. In one case, a couple succeeded in overturning six-figure Capital Gains Tax (CGT) demands raised against them following the sale of their home to a developer. The […]
Obtaining authorisation for construction projects can be extremely demanding, but a combination of persistence and the right legal advice will often win the day. In a case on point, a householder whose hopes of building a garden room were time and again thwarted by planners was finally granted his wish by the High Court. The […]
Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic it has become even more popular to seek resolution of financial issues arising from divorce via private arbitration rather than formal court proceedings – but to what extent are arbitration awards binding and enforceable? The Court of Appeal confronted that issue in a guideline case. A divorcing couple who, due to […]
For many people there is almost nothing more painful than having their private affairs aired on the internet or in publicly available print. As a High Court decision showed, however, specialist lawyers know exactly how to deal with such intrusions. The case concerned a woman who had a relationship with a man who she claimed […]
Landlords who fail to license houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) commit a serious criminal offence and can expect to be hit hard in the pocket. In making that point, the Upper Tribunal (UT) emphasised that stiff financial penalties are generally required in such cases as a deterrent to others. The case concerned a landlord who […]
When it comes to inheritance, the obligation to keep your promises may well be legal as well as moral. In a case on point, a judge followed the demands of conscience in ruling that a hard-working man should inherit the farmland of a close friend who for many years treated him as a son. When […]
A parent who wishes to move from one country to another with his or her child must first obtain the consent of the parent left behind. That principle of international law is easily stated but, as a guideline Court of Appeal ruling showed, applying it in a way that protects the child’s welfare is often […]
If your neighbours have obtained planning permission for building works to which you object, you may think that is the end of the matter. However, as one case strikingly showed, with the right legal advice you can still win the day. A company obtained planning permission to build a large, six-bedroom family home on a […]
