Real estate disputes

Our specialist Real Estate Disputes group advises on a wide range of property disputes. These include rent and service charge recovery issues, rent reviews, lease renewals, site-clearances and possession actions, enforcement of lease covenants, dilapidations and leasehold enfranchisement.

We advise clients, including residential landlords and tenants, on how to reduce risks, avoid or settle claims as well as litigating them where necessary.

We have been involved in a number of high-profile and complex cases and are ranked in the Top 15 UK law firms for real estate litigation work (Chambers UK 2009).

Experience

Winning £20 million dilapidations claim
Acting for P&O on a £20 million dilapidations claim against a Government department. P&O was successful at interim hearings in the High Court, as well as the Court of Appeal when the defendant’s appeal was dismissed.

Representing residential landlord in landmark case over the recovery of service charges
Advising Paddington Walk Management on its dispute with Peabody Trust over the letting of 79 flats.  Peabody sublet the flats to occupying tenants and declined to pay service charges claimed by Paddington.  Paddington Walk Management won the case and in the process clarified the law relating to a landlord’s duty to consult its tenants before entering into contracts for services.

Defending a London estate against the BBC
Advising a London estate on an injunction to prevent the BBC infringing covenants, which imposed height restrictions on the redevelopment of a broadcasting house.

Scottish Widows’ appeal in the Court of Appeal
Successfully overturning a High Court decision which concluded that substantial damages were payable to a former tenant. The tenant claimed its business had been impaired by the erection of speed bumps on the road to the tenant’s premises.

Clearing an office building for a property investment company
Creating a strategy for a property investment company so it could obtain vacant possession of the property, allowing the client to redevelop plans for the building.

Successfully resisting a landlord’s opposition to grant a new lease
Acting for a restaurateur in Finsbury Square to resist the landlord’s opposition to grant a new lease under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954. The landlord had long-standing proposals to redevelop the square, which required possession of the restaurant.