Blog Posts: March 2010

A reminder that 3 of the 5 new mandatory conditions come into force on Tuesday 6 April 2010. These conditions apply even if they are not printed on the Premises Licence. The new conditions are that free tap water is provided on request where it is reasonably available, that no alcohol is dispensed directly by one person into the mouth of another, and that there are no irresponsible promotions. The irresponsible promotions condition is of course the one which is likely to cause problems. An ir.... (read more...)

To help business owners and managers prevent and manage commercial disputes law firm Cousins Business Law has published a free guide entitled “The Definitive Guide to Solving Business Disputes”. The guide stresses the significant cost to business of badly managed disputes and provides practical advice on how to avoid conflict in the workplace as well as steps to take should a dispute be on the cards. In the guide dispute management solicitor Nigel Musgrove shares his 30 years' worth .... (read more...)

A temporary cut in business rates was announced yesterday in the Budget. This will give an exemption for businesses occupying property with a rateable value of up to £6,000, and discounts for those with a rateable value of up to £12,000. The measure is intended to last for 12 months from October. The government claims that the cut will mean more than 300,000 small businesses avoid having to pay rates but it is important to check the 2010 valuation assessment when calculating whether .... (read more...)

I have heard Alistair Darling described as many things but the majority are not suitable for print! At the very least he would be described as the unluckiest chancellor in history. The role was certainly a poisoned chalice when he took over three years ago as the world stood on the verge of a huge financial catastrophe that we are all still feeling the effects of. The tide looks to be finally turning with unemployment falling sharply, and the Bank of England predicting that growth in the first.... (read more...)

The recent news that a West Yorkshire pub has been forced to sack some young waitresses due to local by-laws prompts a look at the law on employment of children in the trade. In the case of the Yorkshire pub the Kirklees Council by-laws state that children under school leaving age cannot work after 7pm, cannot work for more than 2 hours on a school day or a Sunday, cannot work for more than 12 hours in a week during a school term, and cannot work in a commercial kitchen. So what is the law for.... (read more...)

After a long wait, the Consumer Code for Home Builders comes into force on 1 April.  It will be mandatory for house builders who are members of a home warranty scheme which has undertaken to enforce the Code. Home warranty bodies such as NHBC, Premier Guarantee and LABCNew Home Warranty have all agreed to require their registered builders to adopt and comply with the Consumer Code.I set out the main issues covered by the Code in this ezine article in October 2008.The Code will apply to all .... (read more...)

A case reported this week should prompt all landlords to take advantage of our free 20 minute lease review and check that the obligations of a tenant’s guarantor can be legally enforced. This judgement will affect any lease where there has been as assignment from the original tenant and a guarantor was involved. In short it means the continuing liability of the guarantor under a lease can be challenged. Should the tenant then fail to pay the rent then this could prevent the landlord fr.... (read more...)