The Law Commission has announced plans to reinvigorate commonhold as an alternative to leasehold ownership of a property. Commonhold enables property buyers to own the freehold in a flat while having a stake in the shared areas and structure of…read more
Pension administrator liable for investment in ‘green oil’ fraud. Published February 2019
A pension administration firm has failed to overturn a Financial Ombudsman’s (FOS) decision after it invested a client’s money in a fraudulent ‘green oil’ scheme. Berkeley Burke, a Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP) administration firm, was ordered to compensate its client,…read more
Judge allows increase in court costs budget. Published February 2019
The High Court has approved a substantial increase in a costs budget after a ‘significant development’ in the case. The move has been welcomed by costs lawyers as it shows that the courts are willing to be flexible on budgets. …read more
Architect totally vindicated in garden design saga. Published February 2019
An architect who provided free services to her neighbours has seen off a negligence claim in court. The former friends fell out over a garden landscaping project which led to a long-running legal battle. Earlier court hearings had established that…read more
Plans to reduce solicitors’ professional indemnity insurance cover postponed. Published February 2019
Plans to reduce the level of professional indemnity insurance (PII) cover required by solicitors have been put on hold by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). The regulator had been expected to make moves to reduce the minimum PII cover from…read more
