Month: January 2023

The number of disrepair claims against housing associations is expected to rise significantly following a coroner’s ruling that the death of Awaab Ishak from a respiratory illness was caused by ‘chronic exposure to mould’ in the Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH) flat where he lived.

National press coverage of the health risks posed by damp and mould is making more tenants aware of the steps they can take when a landlord fails to deal with the problem. Many reports highlight the difficulties tenants face when they try to get landlords to address disrepair issues, including failures to respond to complaints and long delays in repair work being carried out. In the meantime, tenants are being forced to endure unacceptable living conditions for periods of many months or even years.

Other reasons for the increasing number of disrepair claims against housing associations include a lack of funding and decades of underinvestment in council housing stock and maintenance and reporting procedures, as well as the cost of living crisis, particularly soaring energy bills, which means damp and mould spreading in underheated homes across the country.    

When a landlord makes no effort to repair a damp and mould problem, tenants have few options apart from making a housing disrepair claim. The Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 requires all landlords to maintain their properties to meet the minimum standard for human habitation, and gives tenants the power to take legal action if they believe their property is unfit for human habitation. 

Our housing disrepair solicitors are sympathetic to the physical and emotional problems caused by landlords who let out substandard housing, and are experienced in disrepair claims against housing associations:

https://www.bartlettslaw.co.uk/accidents-at-home/suing-a-housing-association-for-injury.html

Opening in 13 weeks time, the Return of the Gods: Zeus, Athena, Hercules exhibition at Liverpool’s World Museum will showcase a collection of internationally important classical sculptures that rivals the collections held at the British Museum, the Vatican and the Louvre. Visitors will be able to explore the legends of the gods, goddesses and mortals from ancient Greece and Rome, including how the Greek gods were adopted by the Romans and how they were worshipped in public and private.

Henry Blundell of Sefton was an 18th century antiquarian who put together a collection of classical sculptures to display at his home at Ince Blundell. At its height, the collection consisted of more than 400 artefacts and was one of the largest in the country, considered second only to the British Museum in terms of importance and quality

Marble sculptures, paintings and furniture from Ince Blundell Hall were donated to National Museums Liverpool in the 20th century by Joseph Weld, a cousin of Henry Blundell. The Return of the Gods: Zeus, Athena, Hercules exhibition is a unique opportunity to view the stunning collection of classical sculptures and antiquities, and enter the ancient world of myth and legend through the words of poets, music and drama.

The Return of the Gods: Zeus, Athena, Hercules exhibition runs from 28 April until 25 February next year. You can find out more about the exhibition and the World Museum on the National Museums Liverpool website:

https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/whatson/world-museum/exhibition/return-of-gods-zeus-athena-hercules

Stamp duty is a tax that you need to pay when you buy a property in England or Northern Ireland. In Scotland, it’s known as Land and Buildings Transaction Tax, and in Wales it’s called Land Transaction Tax with rates set locally. The amount of Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) you pay is calculated using the purchase price of a property, not the amount you’re borrowing through a mortgage.

Stamp duty was cut in Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng’s September 2022 mini-budget. Starting from 23 September, the threshold for stamp duty on residential properties has been raised from £125,000 to £250,000, while first-time buyers are now exempt from stamp duty on home purchases up to £425,000 in England and Northern Ireland.

You’ll still need to pay stamp duty when buying a property over a certain amount. In the latest of our series of guides provided by UK price comparison website Comparethemarket we explain how stamp duty works, when it applies, how to pay it and the latest stamp duty rates:

https://www.bartlettslaw.co.uk/stamp-duty-explained.html

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A will is a legally binding document that sets out your wishes on how to distribute your assets – the money and property you leave behind – as well as the ongoing care of any children who are minors. Your will also includes the name of the people – the executors – who will manage your estate. Your estate is your property, money and possessions, until they’re distributed to the people named in your will – your beneficiaries.

It’s very easy to put off, or not get around to, making a will. But not doing so could cause issues for family members left behind. More than half of UK adults might not have a will, but in the latest of our series of guides provided by UK price comparison website Comparethemarket we explain why you should:

https://www.bartlettslaw.co.uk/how-and-when-to-make-a-will.html

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If you have a complicated financial situation, for example, you own a business, multiple properties or investments overseas, you may want to take advice from a solicitor specialising in wills. Solicitors can also help clear up any issues around beneficiaries, and what each stands to inherit. Bartletts can help you draft your will and can store it safely on your behalf. We also offer a full probate service:

https://www.bartlettslaw.co.uk/will-solicitor-in-liverpool.html

January is the month when we receive the most enquiries from people who have been injured at hotels. With both Christmas and New Year’s Eve being popular times for getting away, hotels are usually booked to capacity, and have a wider than normal range of services offered and events planned for guests. This often leads to staffing pressures, which in turn can cause lapses in safety procedures with potentially hazardous consequences. The most typical enquiries we receive regarding accidents and injuries at hotels are:

Accidents in hotel bathrooms – Hotel guests may slip, fall and injure themselves in bathrooms causing cuts, bruises, broken bones and head injuries. Safety defects and hazards in hotel bathrooms must be dealt with by the hotel before guests are exposed to the risk of injury.

Find out more: https://www.bartlettslaw.co.uk/accidents-at-hotels/compensation-for-accidents-in-hotel-bathrooms.html

Bed bug bites at hotels – Bed bug infestations continue to pose a problem for hotels around the world. Apart from the impact of being bitten by potentially hundreds of bed bugs, guests may find that the tiny insects travel home with them. stowed away in luggage and clothing, causing an infestation that will usually be difficult and expensive to deal with.

Find out more: https://www.bartlettslaw.co.uk/bed-bug-claims/suing-a-hotel-for-bed-bug-bites.html

Burns from hotel radiators – Hotel radiators may be missing the necessary safety covers resulting in guests burning themselves on contact with hot exposed pipes and radiator surfaces. Guests commonly sustain burns to the legs, hands and fingers, injuries with the potential to leave long-term or permanent scarring.

Find out more: https://www.bartlettslaw.co.uk/accidents-at-hotels/compensation-for-burn-from-radiator-in-hotel.html

Other common accidents at hotels include falls down stairs lacking either proper safety rails or adequate lighting, cuts from broken glass, trips over electric cables, slips caused by spilled drinks, and food poisoning. Our solicitors have handled numerous successful compensation claims against hotels over the years, and offer advice and expertise that you can trust in this area of personal injury law.

Find out more: https://www.bartlettslaw.co.uk/accidents-at-hotels/compensation-for-hotel-accidents.html

Sales of e-scooters have grown dramatically in recent times, and this trend is set to continue with power-assisted cycling becoming increasingly popular, particularly among those looking for an easy, cheap and sustainable way of travelling to and from work, visit friends or explore a city. However, it is clear that electric scooters have created new safety concerns, one of which is the risk they pose to pedestrians.

As the number of e-scooters active on UK roads and pavements continues to rise, pedestrians are exposed to the danger of being run into by inexperienced and irresponsible riders, with the risk of serious injury heightened by the speed at which power-assisted scooters can travel. While e-scooters have engines that are set to automatically switch off at speeds above 15.5mph, the speed limiter can be relatively easily disabled by private owners, meaning that many e-scooters are used in public areas at much higher speeds.

There also remains confusion about where e-scooters are legally allowed to be used, with different rules applying to rental e-scooters and private e-scooters, and reckless riders illegally using the vehicles on pavements and in pedestrianised areas like shopping centres. With the government seemingly planning to legalise the public use of privately-owned e-scooters in the near future, dangerous e-scooter use is likely to continue to pose a risk to pedestrians for some time to come.

If you are a pedestrian who has been injured in an accident involving an e-scooter, contact our firm for expert legal advice from solicitors who have experience of e-scooters and have recently handled e-scooter accident claims:

https://www.bartlettslaw.co.uk/road-accident-claims/who-is-reponsible-for-an-escooter-accident.html

Inheritance tax (IHT) is a one-off tax paid on the value of the estate, above certain levels, after someone dies. The estate is made up of money, property and any other assets they owned, less any debts.

The tax is paid by the beneficiaries. It can, in many circumstances, be paid from the estate, but doesn’t have to be paid on all estates.

Typically, there’s no inheritance tax to pay if:

• The value of your estate is below £325,000 or below £500,000 when leaving your home to your children or grandchildren.

• You leave your estate to your spouse, civil partner or a charity or amateur sports club.

Fundamentally, the earlier you face up to inheritance tax, the more chance you have of cutting the bill paid by your loved ones.

Inheritance tax is a tricky and emotional topic. Read the latest of our series of guides provided by UK price comparison website Comparethemarket to discover when inheritance tax is charged, and how to cut the bill:

https://www.bartlettslaw.co.uk/inheritance-tax-guide.html

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