Connecting you to Verified Independent Chartered Surveyors
This Month's Newsletter
www.propertysurveying.co.uk

The Property Market Monthly Fact File - June 2015
The property market fact file is a collection of data compiled each month by our Chartered Surveyors and the propertysurveying.co.uk team; collating survey data, statistics, trends and information from the property market. This aims to provide a single place where anyone with an interest in UK property can find the information they need.
To read the monthly fact file, click here.

Supreme Court overturns 16 year old test on homelessness vulnerability in landmark legal ruling
Ref. Hotak, Kanu and Johnson [2015] UKSC 30; [2015] 2 WLR 1341
A 16 year old test established by Hobhouse LJ during the Pereira case (1998) has been rendered invalid and replaced by the Supreme Court, effecting all councils with an obligation to provide homelessness accommodation. The ‘vulnerability’ bar for establishing priority need has been considerably lowered, but could the phraseology of the new test act to raise it once more?
To read the whole article, click here.

Everyone hates parking fines – but could some be illegal?
Ref. Parkingeye Limited v Barry Beavis (2015)
A shopper who overstayed his welcome at a car park in Chelmsford and decided to pursue the issue all the way to the Court of Appeal, has finally lost. The small matter of an £85 parking charge has led to a fierce legal battle and an interesting result for the wider commercial property industry…
To read the whole article, click here.

Estate Agency faces £42 million pound legal bill after charging landlord £616 to change a light fitting
London based estate agency Foxtons faces a huge legal bill of around £42 million after charging a landlord £616 just to change a light fitting, a mark up of 33%...
To read the whole article, click here.

800,000 homes provided since 2009 including 260,000 affordable homes since April 2010 Figures released on the 11th June 2015 have shown that since 2009 there has been an increase of almost 800,000 homes. This, together with figures revealed on the 16th June 2015 that highlight 260,000 affordable homes have been delivered since 2010, is surely proof that the housing crisis is steadily improving.… To read the whole article, click here.

Pensioners looking to downsize have found themselves stuck in oversized properties worth a total of £820 billion.
18% of the country's property market taken up by the older generation, who are struggling to find appropriate homes to downsize to…
To read the whole article, click here.

Tidal lagoon development marks landmark moment for South Wales and Britain Landmark moment for South Wales and Britain, as Swansea Bay’s new tidal lagoon is approved, revolutionising Britain’s ‘green’ energy production and marking a sea-change in the UK’s commitment to tackling climate change… To read the whole article, click here.

40ft Leylandii hedge to be removed after 30 year battle.
Residents of a Scottish village are delighted that after a 30 year battle, they will finally see a 40ft Leylandii hedge removed and several hours of lost sunshine per day restored.
To read the whole article, click here.

Mortgage Market Update
Various sources are claiming that now is as good a time to buy a property as there has ever been, with interest rates low and the property market surging forward. We have compiled stats from various sources around the country to give you a complete view of the mortgage market, in case you are looking to invest…
To read the whole article, click here.

And Finally....

In case you missed it - Cheese factory and Pigeon Lofts amongst councils’ huge property portfolio

A report published by the Taxpayers' Alliance, has highlighted that a number of bizarre properties, including a cheese factory and pigeon lofts, are owned by local councils across the country.
To read the whole article, click here.