Leasehold Purchase with a Mortgage

WBW Solicitors LLP and Beviss & Beckingsale LLP are to merge on the 1st September 2021.   WBW Solicitors have offices...

A shortage of sites for travelling communities means that unauthorised encampments are not an uncommon sight. Trespass is generally a...

It is not uncommon upon a divorce or relationship breakdown for a dispute to arise over whether monies received from...

As a result of Covid-19 and the furlough scheme coming to end, the threat or reality of one spouse being...

On 9 February 2021, Farming Minister Victoria Prentis MP announced the opening of a new and improved Countryside Stewardship (CS)...

On 2 February 2021, the European Commission launched a consultation on a new EU Soil Strategy. The consultation seeks views...

The Rural Payments Agency has announced the key dates timeline for the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS), Countryside Stewardship (CS) and...

The government published a roadmap, Path to Sustainable Farming, on 30 November 2020. The roadmap is an agricultural transition plan,...

On 30 November 2020, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has published a policy paper, Multi annual...

On 30 November 2020, the Rural Payment Agency (RPA) has launched a consultation on the operation of the Basic Payment...

On 11 November 2020, the Agriculture Act 2020 (AA 2020) received royal assent.

The Agriculture Bill 2019-21 was published on 16...

On 8 July 2020, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, delivered the Summer 2020 Economic Update (update). The update...

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has published guidance on electrical safety standards in the private rented...

PUBLIC RIGHTS OF WAY – COVID 19

There has been a significant level of discussion on social media and other media...

The current coronavirus pandemic has seen an increase in people wanting to get their affairs in order.  As the seriousness of...

The Government has now brought the Coronavirus Act 2020 into force. This Act implements a number of temporary changes to...

Many of our clients are extremely anxious about the situation relating to their home move or in the case of...

Coronavirus/COVID 19

Due to the latest update from the government from Tuesday 24th  March our offices will be closed.

Our teams are...

Coronavirus/COVID 19 - UPDATE 19th March 2020

As the coronavirus continues to develop and with the latest news that the schools...

On 25 February 2020, NFU President Minette Batters in the opening speech to the NFU's annual conference in Birmingham, challenged...

Changes are likely to take place in this legislation over the next few weeks but it is worthwhile restating what...

The government published the Countryside Stewardship (England) Regulations (SI 2020/41) on 22 January 2020. The Regulations allow the Countryside Stewardship...

On 17 January 2020, the government provided an update on its Ash Archive initiative. The initiative, which was aimed at...

On 20 January 2020, the government has funded £1.2 million to village halls in England for these communities to make...

It is an unusual situation when the order of two deaths becomes so relevant but, in the case of Scarle...

Septic tanks that discharge to surface waters in England should be upgraded or replaced by 1 January 2020.

The Environment Agency...

Giving large sums of money as a gift, whether for a young person to buy a home or to a...

Natural England has licensed and authorised 11 new badger control areas to begin operations within High Risk and Edge areas...

When selling a property, it is important to establish at the offset if the Land Registry title plan, or title...

Beviss & Beckingsale are delighted to support the Shute Festival which was established in 2016 to bring inspirational speakers to this beautiful...

A sheep farmer in Devon has been granted a restraining order at Poole Magistrates' Court against a woman who describes...

The recent cases on Proprietary Estoppel have once again brought this unusual topic into the news.  In these recent cases,...

Natural England have acted to prosecute a farmer for damage to a SSSI

The farmer had created a track, undertaken significant...

The Daily Telegraph reported in April 2019 that local authorities had been granted approval by the Civil Aviation Authority to...

In modern housing estates, the use of estate rentcharges has been a popular trend over the last 2  decades. For...

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has published information about two Countryside Stewardship grants.

The facilitation fund grant...

Secretary of State at the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), Teresa Villiers, attended Countryfile Live on...

You may have heard ‘Parental Responsibility’ or ‘Parental Rights’ but often, when a family relationship is functioning, they are not...

A Special Guardianship Order (SGO) is a Court Order appointing someone other than a child's parent to be there "special...

If the right of way in question is adpoted highway, then the highway authority will be responsible for its maintenance and...

A huge well done to Tom Palmer from Colyford who was the winner of our competition at the recent Axe...

On 19th June 2019, the government has confirmed that farmers and land managers in Environmental Stewardship (ES) and Countryside Stewardship...

On the 11th June this year the Competition and Markets Authority or CMA announced an investigation into a potential breaches...

Those involved in the rented sector should note that on residential tenancies, with effect from the 1st June 2019 there...

Bereaved families who are suffering the loss of a loved one are now having to deal with the pain of...

On 20 May 2019, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has published guidance on stopping, disposing and...

On 25 April 2019, Natural England is revoking three general licences for controlling 16 species of wild birds, following a...

Labelled a “steal tax” by critics, the current flat fee of £215 (or £155 if applying through a solicitor) for...

From 6 April 2017, the Residence Nil Rate Band (“RNRB”) is available for estates of people who leave the interest...

The new General Data Protection Regulations (“GDPR”) were introduced on 25 May 2018 and is the most important change in...

Prior to the 2008 credit crunch interest-only mortgages were popular with borrowers who often failed to take fully into account...

Equity Release is now receiving more scrutiny as its popularity increases. More popular than ever, 10 years ago one would...

The news that the Government is thinking of planning on heavily amending Landlord’s rights to serve Section Notices on tenants...

On 21 March 2019, Ofgem published Feed-in Tariffs: Essential guide to closure of the scheme. This guidance explains Ofgem's administration...

One or two recent cases have emphasised that legal action can be taken against neighbours where the impact of the...

Notices regarding change of ownership of rented properties - Tenants are not always aware that the identity of their Landlord...

Resolution - First for Family Law

Relationship breakdown is devastating, but it doesn't have to be a battle. There is a...

Women & Pensions on Divorce

Reports have shown that:

• 48% of women have no idea what happens to pensions on divorce;

• 27% of...

Energy Performance Certificates When Letting Residential Property

Landlords should by now be familiar with the requirement to have a valid Energy...

Government under pressure to provide bridging finance for BPS payments

The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) has confirmed it remains fully focused...

Government TB strategy review

The government’s 25 year bovine tuberculosis (TB) strategy, led by Sir Charles Godfray, has been published on...

Poultry (including game birds): registration rules

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has published guidance for poultry including...

Some of us in the South West have endured the anguish of being stranded on an unlit  road in the dark...

Asian hornet: UK sightings in 2018

The government has confirmed that there have been 13 confirmed sightings of the Asian hornet...

Choosing a Solicitor?

As a regular subscriber to Which magazine, I was immensely gratified to see the booklet enclosed which their...

The Tenant Farmers Association (TFA) has joined with the National Farmers Union (NFU)in challenging Defra into greater proactivity to address...

The government is to publish a series of notes advising people and businesses how to protect themselves from the potential...

Divorce has recently made the headlines when the Supreme Court ruled that Mrs Owens was not entitled to divorce her...

Having agreed that you want to take on new commercial premises, you need to think next about the length of...

On 11 July 2018, Tomlinson's Dairies Limited was fined £200,000 and ordered to pay costs of £4,267.20 to the Health...

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has announced plans for a review and potential expansion of the...

We have seen a recent trend where both Landlords and Tenants attempt to negotiate and complete new commercial leases especially...

The 2018 National Rural Crime Survey, of crime and anti-social behaviour in rural communities across England and Wales, is now...

Landlords should consult with residential leaseholders before either carrying out works above a certain value to a building, or entering...

New angles to the GDPR legislation arise every week.  One of the issues affecting the property market is the role...

Buying a new property is a very exciting time, whether you are a first-time buyer or a seasoned house purchaser,...

The government has launched a call for evidence for a potential ban on the live export of animals for slaughter...

The government is committed to eradicating bovine TB and sees badger culling as central to that policy, as highlighted in...

Basic Payment Scheme deadline looms

The application deadline for the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) 2017 is midnight on 15 May 2018....

As you may be aware, Japanese Knotweed is an invasive species in the UK, which although superficially attractive, causes major...

The excesses and expense of boundary disputes never seem too far away from our national press.  Often we scoff at...

The next 12 months will be a challenging time for buy-to-let investors as tax changes take effect, the stamp duty...

Emma Northover, a Partner in the Litigation Department, and her Senior Solicitor colleague, Stephen Fisher Crouch, are both recognised as...

Robert Mitchell, one of Beviss & Beckinsale's Private Client Solicitors based at our Honiton Branch, has been writing about making...

Wills which do not make reasonable provision for family members – Court Case in progress

This week the Supreme Court will...

Emails – curse of the modern legal world?! – so say the Judges

Judges should be able to prevent litigants in...

Divorce rate continues its downward trend

There were 111,169 divorces in England and Wales in 2014, a decrease of 3.1% compared with...

Introduction

If you are considering allowing horses onto your land it is important to seek legal and tax advice.  You should...

Shared ownership continues to be an attractive option for many people with the price of a home now unaffordable for...

A Tribunal case has been reported about using a residential flat for Airbnb accommodation. In this case a Lease contained...

Where a bank allowed mortgage debtors to sell their family home to pay off part of their debts and buy...

In a case that is being keenly followed by the charity sector, a disputed will has recently been sent to...

The government first announced higher rates of stamp duty on the purchase of additional residential properties in last year’s autumn...

In what is believed to be the first conviction for “lane hogging”, a van driver was recently fined £500 and...

In a recent judgement in the Court of Appeal, it was ruled that an employer was entitled to withhold one...

The government has launched a new information service for victims of crime.  The service will mean, for the first time,...

Some important new rules have been introduced concerning Assured Shorthold Tenancy Agreements (ASTs)for residential properties.  These rules came into force...

A woman recently won damages on behalf of her son for injuries sustained at his birth as a result of...

The Court of Appeal recently found that an employer was not liable for the severe injuries caused by an employee...

The courts recently ruled that when the directors of a company involved it in fraudulent transactions, the company was not...

A new law has come into force which removes the £5,000 cap that used to limit the maximum fines magistrates...

A new digital service will allow people charged with minor motoring offences to make a plea online at a time...

UK owners of property owned in Europe can sleep a little easier tonight after two key decisions in relation to...

A number of changes are being made to Pension Tax rules to reflect the great flexibility individuals will have to...

June 2015 is one of the dates after which firms (in this case with fewer than 50 workers) will begin...

Almost all Judges in England and Wales believe that their working conditions have worsened over the past 5 years, the...

The number of houses being built in the UK fell during the final 3 months of 2014, the first such...

The Law Society of Ireland has announced that female Irish Solicitors now outnumber Irish male Solicitors practising in the Republic.

Our...

We are certain that all of our clients are now familiar with the requirement to provide an Energy Performance Certificate...

We advise all of our clients who are purchasing properties to visit the property on the ground with the Land...

Heading towards the depths of winter prompts me to write on the subject of flooding. Law Society guidance highlights the...

There is a new case on landlords repairing obligations that you need to know about.  Edwards v Kumarasamy.

Mr Edwards was...

HM Courts & Tribunal Service have made available for public viewing 41 million wills which date back to 1858.   You...

All letting agents and property managers need to know that from 1 October 2014, you must belong to one of...

If you are a Landlord of a property where you took a deposit and the tenancy went “periodic” before the...

More than 80% of clients seeking helping from Citizens Advice say they would be put off going to an Employment...

The growing volume of what are called “litigants in person” has been politically sensitive since much of Family Law was...

In a case which underlines the need for both full and accurate disclosure of potential liabilities when selling a business,...

It is not a well known fact that, beneficiaries of a will or intestacy can alter or rearrange the deceased...

With interest rates still at an all time low but with the possibility of increases in interest rates likely over...

I haven’t got a Will  – what happens when I die?

It is estimated that in the UK only one in three adults have...

Paying for commercial premises often represents the lion’s share of operating costs for most new businesses.  Not many new businesses...

At Beviss & Beckingsale we are always asking our clients how they feel we can improve our services and, yes,...

There is always the temptation in life to try and save money but equally, there is the well known saying,...

The door appears to have finally slammed shut on a family’s attempt to obtain Business Property Relief (BPR) from Inheritance...

Do you have a Right to Buy your home and obtain a discount of up to £75,000?

The Government’s Right to...

The Court of Protection is the part of the Court which is designated with the task of looking after the...

Making improvements (particularly to improve energy efficiency) to your home can add value but in some cases failure to obtain...

A pre-nuptial agreement is a contract entered into between two people prior to their marriage confirming how their assets will...

We are often asked to prepare Lasting Powers of Attorney on behalf of clients.  However, it can also be a daunting...

It is a fundamental principle of company law that a company has a separate legal personality from its members.  People therefore...

What is a Break Clause?

A break clause allows either a Landlord or a Tenant (normally the Tenant) to bring a...

It is reported that there has been an increase in the number of families facing an inheritance tax bill on...

The England & Wales Court of Appeal has ordered that a clerical error in the signing of Wills by a...

An application for change of use of a property from agricultural to residential was recently turned down because the applicant...

Although for most of us there is truth in the saying that “Charity begins at Home”, many of our clients...

One of the hallmarks of the last few years has been the enthusiasm of clients to purchase or start  new businesses...

In the summer of 2010 Mrs B was admitted to hospital following a fall in which she suffered a fractured...

High care home fees risk leaving the elderly with little or nothing to bequeath to loved ones in their wills,...

Changes in private family law proceedings in respect of children are in the process of being made which are intended...

Newly-divorced parents should take care when taking their children abroad on summer holidays warns our Partner Zoe Gaitskell. “Parents could...

An employer who required her live-in housekeeper to not get pregnant has been ordered by an Employment Tribunal to pay...

A recent study by the Electrical Safety Council (ESC), ‘Landlords Risking Lives and Livelihoods By Ignoring Electrical Safety’, that was...

There is no doubt that the Government’s Help to Buy Scheme is promoting a great deal of activity in new...

In the current difficult economic times and with the unwillingness of most banks and buildings societies to loan much more...

Everyone knows that it is important to make a Will and to keep it under review but like catching up...

The high profile dispute involving the winner of the popular TV show “The Apprentice” highlights how important it is to...

A major principle, on which the legal system in England and Wales relies, is that any communication between a client...

Unoccupied and unfurnished property – the current 100% exemption for up to 6 months has been abolished. Instead you will get...

In June 2013, the agreement between the insurance industry and the Government, “The Flood Insurance Statement Of Principles Agreement” will...

When a Landlord wants to carry out works and the cost of completing them will be charged to the Tenants...

Dealing with the death of a relative is stressful enough, without the added stress of a long drawn out winding-up...

Lying to the east of Exeter beyond Whimple lie green fields upon which a gigantic construction project  is altering the...

Should the law just be about solving problems and dealing with the bad things in life, or should it also...

Do I need a survey?
Your home is probably the most expensive and important purchase you will every make and...

When a plan is attached to a conveyance, it is often marked ‘for identification purposes only’ in order to ensure...

A loved one has died, but left you nothing.  Can you do something about it? Maybe.  The will might be...

Collaborative family law is a new approach to negotiating and settling issues arising predominately from divorce or family separation. Its...

Ever thought about the land under your feet? Do you know the history of the land surrounding your house? More...

In the current difficult economic times and with the unwillingness of most banks and buildings societies to loan much more...