header-logo header-logo

12 May 2011 / John De Waal KC , Andy Creer
Issue: 7465 / Categories: Features , Landlord&tenant , Property
printer mail-detail

Mobile restrictions

Andy Creer & John de Waal consider the effect of the decision in Murphy v Wyatt

In a characteristically clear and illuminating judgment in the case of Murphy v Wyatt [2011] EWCA Civ 408, [2011] All ER (D) 112 (Apr) Lord Neuberger, the Master of the Rolls, has defined the parameters of the protection given by the Mobile Homes Act 1983 (MoHA 1983) to occupiers of caravans and mobile homes.

The two key questions which were the focus of the appeal were:

(i) Can someone who with their landlord’s agreement brings a mobile home onto land let to them for another purpose gain the protection of MoHA 1983?  The answer given by the Court of Appeal was “No”.

(ii) Can MoHA 1983 apply to a letting of land that was more than just the pitch on which the mobile home was sited? The answer was again “No”.

Factual background

The appeal was from a decision in the Central London County Court in which the respondent/claimant landlord, Diane Murphy, sought possession

If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content
If you are already a subscriber sign in
...or Register for two weeks' free access to subscriber content

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Kennedys—Milan Devani

Kennedys—Milan Devani

Chief information officer appointment strengthens technology leadership

Maguire Family Law—Hannah Barlow & Sophie Hughes

Maguire Family Law—Hannah Barlow & Sophie Hughes

Firm strengthens Wilmslow team with two solicitor appointments

DWF—Ian Plumley

DWF—Ian Plumley

Londoninsurance and reinsurance practice announces partner appointment

NEWS
The Supreme Court has delivered a decisive ruling on termination under the JCT Design & Build form. Writing in NLJ this week, Andrew Singer KC and Jonathan Ward, of Kings Chambers, analyse Providence Building Services v Hexagon Housing Association [2026] UKSC 1, which restores the first-instance decision and curbs contractors’ termination rights for repeated late payment
Secondments, disciplinary procedures and appeal chaos all feature in a quartet of recent rulings. Writing in NLJ this week, Ian Smith, barrister and emeritus professor of employment law at UEA, examines how established principles are being tested in modern disputes
The AI revolution is no longer a distant murmur—it’s at the client’s desk. Writing in NLJ this week, Peter Ambrose, CEO of The Partnership and Legalito, warns that the ‘AI chickens’ have ‘come home to roost’, transforming not just legal practice but the lawyer–client relationship itself
A High Court ruling involving the Longleat estate has exposed the fault line between modern family building and historic trust drafting. Writing in NLJ this week, Charlotte Coyle, director and family law expert at Freeths, examines Cator v Thynn [2026] EWHC 209 (Ch), where trustees sought approval to modernise trusts that retain pre-1970 definitions of ‘child’, ‘grandchild’ and ‘issue’
Fresh proposals to criminalise ‘nudification’ apps, prioritise cyberflashing and non-consensual intimate images, and even ban under-16s from social media have reignited debate over whether the Online Safety Act 2023 (OSA 2023) is fit for purpose. Writing in NLJ this week, Alexander Brown, head of technology, media and telecommunications, and Alexandra Webster, managing associate, Simmons & Simmons, caution against reactive law-making that could undermine the Act’s ‘risk-based and outcomes-focused’ design
back-to-top-scroll