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Building Safety
Ellisons’ Building Safety Team consists of experienced property and construction litigators, who are here to advise block management companies, leaseholders and freeholders alike on the true cost of safety.
Lead Contacts
Experienced Property and Construction Solicitors advising on the true cost of safety
Most tall building owners have needed to review the fire protection measures in their buildings following updated government guidance as a consequence of the Grenfell tragedy.
Where remedial work is needed to bring a building in line with Building Regulations, the big question for freeholders and leaseholders alike is – who is responsible for paying for the potentially astronomical cost of bringing buildings up to the new standard?
How can Ellisons help you?
At Ellisons, we have a dedicated Building Safety team, made up of experienced property and construction litigators. Our specialist team recognises that this ever-changing topic means that tailored advice is required to ensure that block managers, freeholders and leaseholders alike know what the true cost of safety is.
We offer a tailored package of assessment as required, which can deliver the following advice:
- The Initial Assessment – Includes a full review of relevant leases, statute and guidance in order to advise who is likely responsible for the costs of fire safety works.
- Warranty or Contractor Claims – Our team will assess whether there is scope to pursue any claims against contractors, developers or any other warranty claims in order to reduce the liability on those identified at (1) above.
- Compensation Fund/ Replacement Schemes – Advice will be given on whether there appears to be scope to make use of the government’s compensation fund and, if so, whether any other claims must be pursued before it can be accessed. If the scheme is no longer in existence, we will provide advice as to any replacement schemes.
- Recovery of costs – If it appears there are no warranty claims and the government funds are not available, we can guide you through recovery of the costs via service charges. This will require careful adherence to relevant statute to ensure all costs are properly claimed.
If you consider that you would benefit from understanding more about building safety obligations, please do not hesitate to get in touch with our Building Safety Team here or individually – Ian Seeley, Joe Brightman, Molly Frankham and James King.
Pragmatic and Practical advice
Our team is large enough to provide our clients with a full range of expert advice upon all aspects of commercial property, whilst remaining small enough to provide a personal service to our clients, many of whom have enjoyed using our services for many years. With specialists in property matters, dispute resolution, funding, planning and commercial agreements, we offer a fully integrated service to our clients. Our aim is to work in partnership with our clients and their professional advisers, in order to achieve our clients’ goals and to seek solutions where others may only see problems. We offer pragmatic and practical advice, with a view to ensuring that our clients are able to take well informed commercial decisions. We believe that it is this philosophy that has led to the continued growth of the team and a record of client retention that we are very
proud of.
Our clients include residential and commercial developers, individual and corporate investors, charities, financial institutions, public authorities and trading business, purchasing or leasing premises for their own use.
We offer a tailored package of assessment as required, which can deliver the following advice:
INSIGHTS
Insights
10th November 2022
New Homes Ombudsman Service
The New Homes Ombudsman Service (‘NHOS’) has been introduced as part of changes brought in by the Building Safety Act
Insights
21st September 2022
Cladding claims and fire safety after Grenfell: first reported High Court judgment published
The first substantive claim concerning cladding defects on high rise buildings since Grenfell was handed down by the Technology and
12th July 2022
When does the beneficiary of a collateral warranty have the right to refer a dispute to adjudication?
A recent decision heard in the Court of Appeal, in the case of Abbey Healthcare (Mill Hill) Limited v Simply
