Super-prime Chelsea scheme embroiled in Vatican ‘scandal’
The redevelopment of the former Harrods depository on Sloane Avenue is at the centre of an investigation by the Vatican into the use of $200m in funds…
The Tenant Fees Act: Does it have any teeth?
Barrister Katrina Mather of Hardwicke Chambers explores the realities of the Tenant Fees ban, a “slightly peculiar piece of legislation” that came into force on 1st June
LonRes acquires AML consultancy
FCS’ range of compliance services will help ‘free up agents to concentrate on what they do best’, says the B2B trading platform and data provider…
Sandbanks homeowner hit with £60k fine for lopping protected pines
Court hands down hefty penalty after illegal works boost value of high-end holiday home ‘by between £20k and £100k’
Auriens partners go to court over bankruptcy dispute
Karen Mulville has filed a bankruptcy petition against business partner Johnny Sandelson in the High Court, which Sandelson argues should be dismissed
‘Unscrupulous’ Westminster landlord hit with record £500k planning fine
Southwark Crown Court hands down the biggest ever penalty for a planning offence in Westminster after enforcement officers discover eight flats crammed into a three-bed house in Maida Vale
Nearly half of London letting agents break the law
46% of London letting agents inspected in the last 15 months “do not comply with the law”; rogue agents have paid more than £1.2m in fines in that time.
Electronic signatures are valid, rules Law Commission
“An electronic signature can generally be used in place of a handwritten signature,” confirms The Law Commission, “as long as the usual rules on signatures are met”
Olshan boss sues celebrity interior designer for ‘walking off the job’
Andrea Olshan of Manhattan-based Olshan Properties claims Vicky Charles ‘began to separate herself’ from projects in NYC and the Hamptons ‘to work for more A-List clients such as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’
Developers contribute £6bn a year to community infrastructure projects
New CIL reforms mean local councils now have to declare developers’ contributions and how levies are spent
Russia moves to seize ‘the ultimate Scottish residence’
One of Scotland’s most luxurious country houses, The Tower of Lethendy in rural Perthshire, has found itself at the centre of an extraordinary High Court battle between the Kremlin and a billionaire oligarch…
Required Reading: The VAT reverse charge for building & construction services
A major change to the way VAT is collected in the building and construction industry comes into play on 1st October 2019 [delayed to 2020]. Kate Garcia & Caroline Airey of Shoosmiths explain what’s happening and what impact it will have on businesses and their customers.