Currently, first time buyers are exempt from paying Stamp Duty on house purchases up to £250,000, but from March 25th, all home buyers will face a one per cent tax on house purchases between £125,000 and £250,000, and a three per cent tax on purchases over £250,000. But the exemption is coming to an end, and first time buyers have until midnight on March 24th to complete the purchase of their new home and avoid paying any Stamp Duty. Continue reading →
Winchester Rugby Club U15 team
Congatulations to Winchester Rugby Club’s Under 15 squad (sponsored by Shentons). We hear that they are currently top of their league – well done lads!
The team are pictured with Shaun Underhill, a Partner at Shentons and keen rugby fan.
Under proposals outlined in a consultation paper, the Government is proposing to make squatting in residential properties a criminal offence. The offence would be committed where a person:
• Was in the building as a trespasser having entered as such;
• Knew or ought to have known that he or she was a trespasser; and
• Was living or intending to live in the building.
Shaun Underhill, head of civil litigation at Shentons, welcomes the Government’s decision to delay civil litigation reforms as announced by the House of Lords earlier this week and echoes the Law Society’s comments below:
“The delay will give a welcome breathing space for the Ministry of Justice to now properly consider the damaging effect these changes to ‘no win, no fee’ agreements will have on access to justice, particularly for middle England and those ineligible for legal aid.The changes are complex and have been selected from a recent report from Lord Justice Jackson- despite his warning not to ‘cherry pick’ from the report. As presently conceived, we fear that the changes will advance the interests of insurance companies at the cost of access to justice and fairness. This delay gives time to pause and re-consider.”
Travel insurers have been blasted by consumer watchdogs after record numbers of complaints by Britons who felt cheated by medical ‘get-out’ clauses. In a report, Which? has accused insurers of changing terms after the policies are sold, often leaving British travellers without any cover. Says Shaun Underhill a Partner at Winchester based solicitors Shentons “Traditionally January is one of the busiest times of the year for people booking holidays, so it’s very timely to remind consumers of their legal rights and pitfalls when looking at travel insurance” Continue reading →
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