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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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MOVERS & SHAKERS

London Solicitors Litigation Association—John McElroy

London Solicitors Litigation Association—John McElroy

Fieldfisher partner appointed president as LSLA marks milestone year

Kingsley Napley—Kirsty Churm & Olivia Stiles

Kingsley Napley—Kirsty Churm & Olivia Stiles

Firm promotes two lawyers to partnership across employment and family

Foot Anstey—five promotions

Foot Anstey—five promotions

Firm promotes five lawyers to partnership across key growth areas

NEWS
Freezing orders in divorce proceedings can unexpectedly ensnare third parties and disrupt businesses. In NLJ this week, Lucy James of Trowers & Hamlins explains how these orders—dubbed a ‘nuclear weapon’—preserve assets but can extend far beyond spouses to companies and business partners 
A Court of Appeal ruling has clarified that ‘rent’ must be monetary—excluding tenants paid in labour from statutory protection. In this week's NLJ, James Naylor explains Garraway v Phillips, where a tenant worked two days a week instead of paying rent
Thousands more magistrates are to be recruited, under a major shake-up to speed up and expand the hiring process
Three men wrongly imprisoned for a combined 77 years have been released—yet received ‘not a penny’ in compensation, exposing deep flaws in the justice system. Writing in NLJ this week, Dr Jon Robins reports on Justin Plummer, Oliver Campbell and Peter Sullivan, whose convictions collapsed amid discredited forensics, ‘oppressive’ police interviews and unreliable ‘cell confessions’
A quiet month for employment cases still delivers key legal clarifications. In his latest Employment Law Brief for NLJ, Ian Smith reports that whistleblowing protection remains intact even where disclosures are partly self-serving, provided the worker reasonably believes they serve the ‘public interest’ 
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