Deciding upon what you wish to happen to your body when you die is never an easy thought. What would your family want? Should you be buried? But along with that can often come additional expenditure on top of funeral costs, including purchasing a lair etc. Or should you be cremated and have your ashes scattered in that special place?
Well, now there may be no need to decide between the two if the latest decision emerging from Washington, USA is anything to go by.
The Scottish Information Commissioner (SIC) has recently published two sets of guidance on Freedom of Information (FOI), Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) and the terms of the Order which brings RSLs under the FOI regime.
The guidance relates to:
RSLs should read the new guidance on Freedom of Information and be aware of the following key points:
The Property Factors Scotland Act 2011 required all property factors to register on the newly formed Register of Property Factors. Failure to register is a criminal offence punishable by a fine or even imprisonment! Given the sanctions which exist it is important to be clear who is under an obligation to register. This is still proving a challenge for some entities providing property management services to residential schemes.
The legislation provides a definition of a property factor i.e. a person who, in the course of
If you have a Will in place, it is important to review this on a regular basis to ensure it is up to date with your personal and financial circumstances.
People often think of reviewing matters such as the amount of money to be left to nieces or nephews or who should, in fact, inherit the family heirlooms. However, most don't think to review who they have appointed as their Executor in their Will. So why is this important?
An
Brain Injury Awareness Week 2019 is here - #ActionForBrainInjuryWeek #ABIWeek, culminating with #HatsForHeadway on Friday 24th May.
As is often the case, family members can face numerous difficulties as the result of a loved one succumbing to a brain injury - if they no longer have capacity to make decisions for themselves and if the family is not aware of what steps they need to take. Difficulties can arise in relation to medical or financial decisions that need to be made and no-one having
Office equipment; repair services; boilers; stationary and much more are bought by Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) as a matter of course.
Sometimes it's simple for an RSL to buy things, other times it's more complex and subject to public procurement law. No matter what, information about what they are buying will be given to the RSL by the supplier.
Come 11 November 2019 this information will be covered by Freedom of Information (FOI). This will impact not only RSLs, but the people and companies that
It is fairly well known that the Equality Act 2010 affords protection against discrimination, harassment and victimisation on the basis of religion (or religious beliefs).
Perhaps less well known is that it can also provide protection in relation to certain philosophical beliefs.
To be protected such philosophical beliefs must be more than an opinion or viewpoint - it must be a genuinely held belief in relation to weighty and substantial part of human life and behaviour. It must also be serious and important, and have
No-one likes to contemplate their own death or think of the death of a loved one. It is however an important topic of conversation to have with your family and friends and is encouraged as part of the Dying Matters Awareness Week. Doing this at an early stage allows you to have an unpressured conversation at a time that suits you and not at a time of ill health or crisis.
Conversations of this nature are a prompt to discuss your affairs and the
Once appointed by the Court to act as Financial Guardian there are certain administrative responsibilities which you will have to fulfill, these are detailed below. By taking on this role you are accepting this responsibility and it is therefore important that you consider if you have the time and ability to carry out the duties of a Financial Guardian.
The Sheriff may order that you obtain a Bond of Caution (usually within 4 weeks of your date of appointment). A Bond of
Holiday lettings sit outwith the standard regulatory framework of the private rented sector. A holiday let is excluded from constituting a Private Residential Tenancy. So when is a 'holiday let' not a 'holiday let'?
There is no requirement for such landlords to register or pay over a deposit to a Tenancy Deposit Scheme. Furthermore, the Repairing Standard does not apply to holiday lets of less than 31 days.
The Scottish Courts considered holiday lets in the case of St. Andrews Forest Lodges Ltd. v Jeremy
Many families wish to ensure that their family are provided for in the future. They have worked hard to be able to own their property and do not want their estate to be exhausted by paying care costs. Beware, there are many things to consider before gifting your property to avoid care costs.
Since 2002 deferred payment schemes have been available for care home residents however, many are unaware of their availability.
Care home residents who have insufficient income and capital (excluding the value of their property) to meet care home fees may enter into an agreement with their local authority to defer payment of part of their contribution towards care costs. They can settle these sums with the local authority at a later date when their home is eventually sold. A deferred payment agreement is an agreement
Trainee recruitment is a part of my job I really enjoy. I love meeting new people and trying to find someone that I think will bring an extra dimension, while assessing whether they will work well alongside the existing team.
Our latest search for a trainee produced nearly 100 applicants. But of that 100, how do we whittle them down?
First of all we decide what our key criteria will be. That will vary each year depending on the priorities we place on certain skills,
In September 2001, the Scottish Government introduced legislation to provide free personal care for those who were assessed as requiring it and were over 65. 'Personal care' means care which relates to day to day tasks and the needs of the person cared for (for example, washing, eating etc.).
1st April 2019 sees the introduction of 'Frank's Law', which will broaden the availability of free personal care to those under 65. This means that those living with early onset dementia, Parkinson's Disease,
The Gas Safety (Installation and Use)(Amendment) Regulation 2018 came in to force on 6 April 2018. A year on, it is worth reminding landlords of its terms. This amendment addressed the often unnecessary and unintended financial burden of over-compliance with the 12 month gas safety check.
Instead of having to begin the process early, in anticipation of access problems, landlords were given more flexibility in meeting the requirements of the legislation. An MOT style system was introduced which allowed landlords to carry out their
It's Lent - the Christian period of time for reflection and preparation before the celebrations of Easter. With that in mind, what better time than to focus your mind on your affairs and having everything in order so that you and your family have a secure and comfortable future. This can be sorted with both a Will and Power of Attorney.
Your Will is probably one of the most important documents that you can make. It is vital if you wish to protect
No one likes to contemplate their own death or the death of a loved one. The importance of preparing a will is often overlooked or postponed or those who do have wills overlook the importance of reviewing their wills.
In preparing a will you provide written instructions on how your estate should be distributed on death and who should do so. Often the Executor will be the person who will make funeral arrangements. This need not be the case. Should you wish, you can make
If you have undergone gender reassignment surgery, you will be dealing with an overwhelming number of changes and will be starting to create your new identity. To make things easier, the Registers of Scotland (ROS) will change your title deeds to reflect your new identity. They will not only change your name as owner, they will also change your name as borrower in respect of any securities registered over your title. Please note however you will also have to inform your security lender of the
You have made a Will. Congratulations! This puts you ahead of the almost 60% of the Scottish population who do not have Wills in place.
In your Will, you have appointed an Executor; the person charged with implementing the terms of your Will and carrying out their legal duties as your Executor. However, in light of a case involving a man who murdered his mum, but because he is named as the Executor in her Will he can attend to administering her estate, some people
Many people choose a loft conversion as a means of obtaining more space without having to move home. This blog provides some advice on what you should be thinking about before making the decision to extend and how to ensure that the loft conversion is safe and legal.
If you live in a house this shouldn't be an issue but for top floor flats (including upper cottage flats) you should check the title deeds (or ask
'It's in the diary.' 'Let's catch up over coffee.' These are typical phrases which are uttered when we hear the words - 'business development'. What are we really looking to gain from having countless lunches and coffees with contacts we may not have seen or heard from in a while?
In these uncertain times, businesses can no longer afford to cherry pick where their business comes from. Work may be referred continuously from one reliable source or may come from the man in
There are many people who are providing care for loved ones in their own homes. The Scottish Government recently circulated an updated Carers' charter explaining the rights of adult carers or young carers in Scotland. This came on the back of the introduction of new legislation, The Carers (Scotland) Act 2016, which came into effect from 1 April 2018. What are your rights as a carer in Scotland?
The legislation was introduced to enhance the rights of carers in Scotland to help improve their
You have been appointed as a Continuing (financial) Attorney and now need to trigger the powers granted to you.
It is all change right now in the world of repairs for private landlords in Scotland.
We recently saw new Gas Safety Regulations come into force on 6 April 2018 and more changes have been implemented with the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006 (Modification of the Repairing Standard) Regulations 2019. Please find below a summary of the changes that came in to force on 1 March 2019.
At first glance, the changes to the repairing standard seem to look like a loosening of the requirements, particularly
As we approach 29 March there are changing levels of uncertainty around what might happen when the UK leaves the European Union, it is a good time to consider what options your business might have to take ahead of a possible Brexit.
The current position is that at 11pm on 29 March 2019 the United Kingdom will leave the E.U. This is known as the 'withdrawal date'. A European court has ruled that the UK can decide to halt the process and stay in the
Are you a Registered Social Landlord engaged in property factoring? Are your factoring practices robust and ready for upcoming changes to the Property Factor's Code of Conduct?
The Property Factors (Scotland) Act 2011 is 6 years old and created a statutory framework providing protections for homeowners who receive services from a property factor. As part of that framework, a Code of Conduct was introduced which sets minimum standards of practice for registered property factors in their business with homeowners.
The Scottish Government has been active
Earlier this month, Acas issued guidance on age discrimination and information for workplaces outlining important points for businesses to consider including steps to take to avoid age discrimination in the workplace and examples of how age discrimination might occur.
Age is one of the nine protected characteristics within the Equality Act 2010. This means that an employee is protected against discrimination because of age. It is important to remember that this discrimination doesn't only occur when a 'young person' receives better treatment than an 'older
A servitude is a right that a landowner has over neighbouring property which allows the holder of the servitude (or benefitted proprietor) to do something with another person's property, which would not normally be allowed. Whether created by a specific grant, by reservation, or indeed through uninterrupted use for the prescriptive period of 20 years the servitude right runs with the land. Common examples include:
Servitudes were once restricted to
The recent case of Clancy Docwra Ltd v E.On Energy Solutions Ltd has highlighted the need for consistency between a contract and any additional documents appended to it.
E.On appointed Clancy Docwra as a sub-contractor to excavate trenches for the installation of an underground district heating network. They had started the works when they encountered adverse ground conditions which consisted of underground brick walls and rubble. The parties disputed what entitlement, if any, Clancy Docwra had to receiving additional costs in relation to the further
The Scottish Government has recently published updated versions of the model Private Residential Tenancy Agreement, Easy Read Notes, and Statutory Terms Supporting Notes. This update takes account of changes to data protection laws, as well as other minor edits and clarifications.
The new versions should be used going forward.
You can access the updated information at the Scottish Government's website links below.
Model Tenancy Agreement:
https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-government-model-private-residential-tenancy-agreement/
Easy Read Notes:
Statutory Terms Supporting Notes:
The downloadable output of the Scottish Government's model tenancy agreement
On 11 November 2019 all Scottish RSLs will become subject to Freedom of Information (FOI). This will give members of the public the right to request information that RSLs hold.
Whilst RSLs are currently required to respond to public requests for environmental information, the draft 'Order' published by the Scottish Government on 08 February will mean that RSLs (and in some cases their subsidiaries) need to provide a wide range of information if requested, subject to that Order being approved by parliament. This is
So the day is finally here; you've worked hard, made years of payments and now you've got that all important letter from the bank/lender confirming that you have fully paid off your mortgage. So pop open the champagne, enjoy the moment and have a think about how you are going to spend that extra money each month. But wait, you notice on the letter there's something about discharging the mortgage, what does this mean?
The concept is fairly simple, when you use a mortgage to
Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) are entitled to terminate a Scottish Secure Tenancy and recover the property where a tenant (or someone residing with or visiting them) has been convicted of a criminal offence. Provision for this is made in Ground 2 of Schedule 2 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001. What changes are coming into force regarding evicting criminal tenants in 2019?
There are currently two conditions which must be met before an RSL is entitled to serve a Notice of Proceedings and begin eviction
As most people are aware, the government set up a very generous scheme at the end of 2015 known as Help to Buy ISAs where young people who had never owned a house before (first-time buyers) could save for a house and be given a free 25% bonus on top of their savings when they became able to purchase of a property. A Lifetime ISA, or 'LISA' as they're regularly referred to, offers a very similar deal but with considerable differences which you should
The Scottish Government is due to introduce new legislation regarding fire and smoke detectors in the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower tragedy. The Housing (Scotland) Act 1987 (Tolerable Standard) (Extension of Criteria) Order 2019 is due to come into force on 1 February 2021 and will extend the 'tolerable standard' set out in section 86 of the 1987 Act.
The changes in the Order will apply not just to properties which are occupied by tenants, but all residential properties. Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) and owner
LIBOR (the London Inter-bank Offered Rate) is at the heart of private funding to the housing sector. Post-2022 however, banks will no longer be required to provide LIBOR quotations and thought needs to be given as to how that may affect Registered Social Landlords who have loans that continue beyond 2022 or indeed are taking out loans now.
The most likely replacement is the Sterling Overnight Interest Average (SONIA) administered by the Bank of England. SONIA is based
Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT) replaced Stamp Duty Land Tax on the purchase of property in Scotland on the 1st April 2015. Since then there have been many updates, amendments and guidance notes issued. The purpose of this blog is to provide an update on the current threshold and tax banding for LBTT, the new First Time Buyers Relief and the increase to the Additional Dwelling Supplement (ADS).
LBTT Threshold and Banding
The threshold for paying LBTT on the purchase of residential
Why consider an equity release mortgage?
The average person can expect to live for around 20 years following retirement and for many people equity release is an attractive option as it offers either a lump sum or a regular income which could be used in a number of ways:
It is a well known principle that any construct must be built on solid foundations in order to stand the test of time. Well, the same can be said for raising an action for recovery of possession of a Scottish Secure Tenancy. In order for proceedings to be initiated the first step is to serve a Notice of Proceedings.
This prerequisite document essentially supports the action through legal proceedings in the courtroom and certainly is the initial bedrock of a pursuer?s position before a Statement
'But I've not spoken to my children in 10 years!!' Whether or not you choose to make a Will, there exists what are known as 'Legal Rights' in Scotland. Some argue that if they have chosen to make a Will and expressed a clear wish that their children are not to inherit any of their estate, then why should their children, who they, perhaps, have not seen nor spoken to for many years, be able to lay any claim against their estate? The theory behind
Previously, we blogged on the problems with service of actions raised at the First-tier Tribunal - Housing and Property Chamber (FTT-HPC) where the address of the tenant was unknown.
Proposals to amend the FTT-HPC procedural rules to correct this problem and revise the procedural rules more generally were laid before Parliament in December 2018. The amending provisions are contained within the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland Housing and Property Chamber (Procedure) Amendment Regulations 2018 and The First-tier Tribunal for Scotland Housing and Property Chamber (Incidental Provisions)
Before we all down tools for Christmas, it might be an idea to think about what sort of 'resolutions' you wish to make for your business in the coming year. Sometimes, the personnel issues are the ones that go to the bottom of a to-do list so now is a good time to think of what you are looking to achieve.
One area that tends to go to the bottom of a to-do list is contracts and policies.
How can you recover factoring & common maintenance debts from owner-occupiers? A Notice of Potential Liability for Costs (NPLCs) can assist Registered Social Landlords and factors to recover money due by owner-occupiers for factoring and common maintenance debts.
Notice of Potential Liability for Costs
Introduced in 2004, the Notice can be used in relation to flats or houses. It does not solely relate to costs already incurred and can be lodged in relation to planned works where there is doubt regarding an owner's ability to
The Scottish Government and the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) have jointly created A Fair Work Charter for Severe Weather, setting out guidelines for both employers and workers for managing the effects of severe weather on work. The Charter was developed as a response to the severe weather brought in by the 'Beast from the East' at the beginning of 2018 which had an impact on commuters and those with caring responsibilities.
The Charter is an extension of the 2016 Fair Work Framework which
Last week was National Stress Awareness Day, and is a good way to remind employers they should be ensuring the welfare of their employees, in particular their stress levels and overall mental health. Employers have a legal and moral obligation to ensure they aren't discriminating against staff, specifically because of their mental health. Reasonable adjustments, by altering working conditions, to help employees with a disability, including mental health problems is the law.
While many organisations understand the impact of mental health in the workplace, it
On 29 October 2018, the Chancellor, Philip Hammond, delivered the Autumn 2018 Budget. The Budget included the following measures of interest to employment practitioners:
The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) has published statistics on its early conciliation (EC) service for the period April to June 2018. The statistics show that the total number of EC notifications had increased by 53% as compared to the equivalent quarter of 2017. The figures also show an increase in the proportion of EC cases which thereafter proceeded to a full employment tribunal claim: 23% of EC cases went forward compared to only 17% in the same quarter for 2017.
Acas early conciliation
Background
In September 2016 the Office of National Statistics (ONS) announced that it was reclassifying Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) in Scotland as public non-financial bodies for the purposes of the national accounts. This was due to RSLs being subject to public sector control via the Scottish Housing Regulator's (SHR) powers over management, constitutional change and disposals of land. As a consequence of this reclassification, RSL debt would have to be counted as a public liability for the purposes of the nation's accounts. The ONS was
There is now an impending deadline fast approaching at breakneck speed on the 1st October 2018. Yes, that's correct. As the turn of the month falls before us and as we enter the autumnal season, if you are conducting letting agency work in Scotland and have not applied to join the Register of Letting Agents through Registers of Scotland then please be forewarned as all individuals involved in letting agency work must comply with the Letting Agent Code of Practice as well as having
When it comes to Wills, most people are focused purely on how the estate will be distributed. Questions such as 'have I given enough to my grandchildren?' and 'will my spouse be adequately provided for?' are, obviously, very important matters to consider. However, the appointment of an Executor is just as important.
Who should I appoint?
Your Executor is responsible for dealing with the administration of your estate and ensuring that the terms of your Will are carried out, often with the assistance of a
