News

After Insolvency – Claims Against Directors and Reviewable Transactions

After the dust has settled on the repatriation of the 150,000 holiday makers left stranded in the wake of the collapse of Thomas Cook, the focus of the liquidators, the government Business & Insolvency Service (BIS) and the media is likely…

Collapse of Thomas Cook – Protection For Consumers

As of 23 September 2019, Thomas Cook ceased trading with immediate effect. This means that all holidays and flights provided by this company are now cancelled. For everyone who is currently travelling or due to travel with Thomas Cook, the most…

Plymouth’s Bartons Solicitors Marine Department shortlisted for prestigious legal award

Bartons’ Marine Department have been shortlisted in the Excellence in Client Service category for the Law Society’s prestigious Excellence Awards 2019, the highest accolade for law firms in England and Wales. The Plymouth based Marine…

South West law firm makes new appointments

Bartons Solicitors, a long established multi discipline law firm with four offices based in Devon and Bristol, has appointed two new Directors, Ian Spencer and Roseanna McNally, to further strengthen the team and manage ongoing growth.   Bartons’…

Barn Conversions – Escaping Overage

With the intention to relax the planning restrictions on certain types of development, the current government has increased the scope of Permitted Development Rights (“PDR”). Historically, PDR mainly related to domestic changes but the…

Holiday Lettings – Common Restrictive Covenants in the South Hams

Around 3.4 million UK citizens have additional properties that they leave empty as an investment or use as holiday homes. In the South West, we have a much higher proportion of second or holiday homes, particularly in South Hams hotspots such…

LASTING POWER OF ATTORNEY –v- DEPUTYSHIP

We all hope that our mental and physical health will not fail us but none of us know what life has in store. What are our options? Should we plan ahead and put in place a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) knowing that should we need assistance…

GOVERNMENT CONSULTATION ON NON RESIDENT SDLT SURCHARGE

“The art of taxation consists in so plucking the goose as to procure the largest quantity of feathers with the least possible amount of hissing.” - Jean-Baptiste Colbert (Louis XIV’s finance minister) Until relatively recently the…

UK Property Ownership – Tax Implications

From 6th April 2017 the UK Inheritance Tax (IHT) law changed so that the use of offshore companies to own UK residential property can no longer provide a shelter for Inheritance Tax. For deaths on or after 6th April 2017 all non-UK domiciled…

DEVON RESTRICTIONS (S157 Restrictive Covenants)

If you are looking to purchase a property in Devon there are many towns and villages which include properties that are subject to a Devon Restriction. To name a few, Kingsbridge, Salcombe, Thurlestone, Hope Cove, Bigbury, Ugborough, South Milton,…

Tenant Fees Act 2019 – What Does It Mean For Section 21 Notices?

The Tenant Fees Act 2019 will come into force on 1 June 2019. Whilst there has been a great deal of publicity around the fact that a wide range of fees currently charged by landlords and letting agents will be outlawed, there has been less written…