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01 March 2012
Issue: 7503 / Categories: Features , Landlord&tenant , Property
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What a charade

Jonathan Upton considers how the court distinguishes a sham agreement

In Brumwell v Powys CC [2011] EWCA Civ 1613 the Court of Appeal considered the overlapping issues of sham agreements and management agreements in proceedings for the grant of a new tenancy under Pt II of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 (the 1954 Act). These issues arise with surprising frequency in the 1954 Act renewal cases, and practitioners must be aware of them in order to properly advise their clients.

Brumwell

The appellant (B) issued proceedings under the 1954 Act for the grant of a new tenancy of the Wyeside Camping and Caravan Park, Llangurig Road, Rhayader, Powys (the park). The park has been used as a site for touring and static caravans and as a camping ground since the 1960s. This business was carried on initially by the Radnorshire District Council and then, following local government reorganisation in 1996, by its successor, Powys County Council (the council). B first came to the park in 1995 to perform cleaning and caretaking duties.

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NLJ Career Profile: John McElroy, London Solicitors Litigation Association

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Litigators digesting Mazur are being urged to tighten oversight and compliance. In his latest 'Insider' column for NLJ this week, Professor Dominic Regan of City Law School provides a cut out and keep guide to the ruling’s core test: whether an unauthorised individual is ‘in truth acting on behalf of the authorised individual’
Conflicting county court rulings have left landlords uncertain over whether they can force entry after tenants refuse access. In this week's NLJ, Edward Blakeney and Ashpen Rajah of Falcon Chambers outline a split: some judges permit it under CPR 70.2A, others insist only Parliament can authorise such powers
A wave of scandals has reignited debate over misconduct in public office, criticised as unclear and inconsistently applied. Writing in NLJ this week, Alice Lepeuple of WilmerHale says the offence’s ‘vagueness, overbreadth & inconsistent deployment’ have undermined confidence
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