PUBLICATIONS

The publication of the draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill (the Bill) at the start of this year has the potential to mark a watershed moment in the evolution of property law in England and Wales. Those of us of certain age will remember that commonhold was introduced with fanfare in September 2004 under the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002. I recall attending detailed training sessions in anticipation of spending much of my career as a property lawyer setting

New regulations require the recipient of certain contractual rights over registered land to provide additional information at various stages during the contract to the Land Registry. The intention is to increase transparency over who has control over registered land even if they do not have legal ownership of it. These regulations do not apply to unregistered land.

Box shifting schemes involve placing boxes in otherwise unoccupied premises on a recurrent basis, the aim being to reduce business rate liabilities.

A recent Court of Appeal ruling could have significant implications on business rates across England. In a new article published by Property Week, our partner Beth Margetson, explores how the decision may affect business rates mitigation schemes commonly known as "box shifting”.