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14 February 2025 / Ben Hatton , Jordan Gulwell , Natasha Vij
Issue: 8104 / Categories: Features , Property , Landlord&tenant , Housing , Nuisance
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Lessons in real estate litigation

Ben Hatton, Jordan Gulwell & Natasha Vij explore 2024’s stand-out cases in real estate litigation: what can we learn for the coming year?

  • The status of roof gardens, the right to manage in mixed-use developments, undisclosed moths, and insufficient evidence all kept the courts busy last year.

In 2024, the real estate litigation arena witnessed several landmark cases that have redefined legal interpretations and set new precedents. The cases address issues ranging from building safety to lease, and understanding these developments is crucial for stakeholders in the property sector. Whether you are a developer, property manager, or tenant, these cases may influence your rights and obligations in respect of the Building Safety Act 2022, security of tenure and beyond.

Determining high-risk buildings

The Smoke House case (Blomfield (flat 504) and others v Monier Road Ltd [2024] Lexis Citation 1049) arose from a dispute over the classification of a building as a higher-risk building (HRB) under the Building Safety Act 2022 (BSA 2022).

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NEWS

The Court of Appeal has slammed the brakes on claimants trying to swap defendants after limitation has expired. In Adcamp LLP v Office Properties and BDB Pitmans v Lee [2026] EWCA Civ 50, it overturned High Court rulings that had allowed substitutions under s 35(6)(b) of the Limitation Act 1980, reports Sarah Crowther of DAC Beachcroft in this week's NLJ

Cheating in driving tests is surging—and courts are responding firmly. Writing in NLJ this week, Neil Parpworth of De Montfort Law School charts a rise in impersonation and tech-assisted fraud, with 2,844 attempts recorded in a year
As AI-generated ‘deepfake’ images proliferate, the law may already have the tools to respond. In NLJ this week, Jon Belcher of Excello Law argues that such images amount to personal data processing under UK GDPR
In a striking financial remedies ruling, the High Court cut a wife’s award by 40% for coercive and controlling behaviour. Writing in NLJ this week, Chris Bryden and Nicole Wallace of 4 King’s Bench Walk analyse LP v MP [2025] EWFC 473
A €60.9m award to Kylian Mbappé has refocused attention on football’s controversial ‘ethics bonus’ clauses. Writing in NLJ this week, Dr Estelle Ivanova of Valloni Attorneys at Law examines how such provisions sit within French labour law
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