Latest Supreme Court decision on meaning of house
In Hosebay Ltd v Day, Lexgorge Ltd v Howard de Walden Estates Ltd [2012] UKSC 41, decided on 10 October 2012, the Supreme Court overturned the decision of the Court of Appeal, and held that buildings which had originally been built as single houses, but had subsequently been adapted to purely commercial use were not houses “reasonably so called”. In the first case, the buildings were used as a self-catering hotel. In the second, the building was used entirely as offices at the relevant date. Consequently, claims by the long lessees of the buildings to acquire the freehold under the Leasehold Reform Act 1967 could not succeed. Counsel arguing the appeals included Jonathan Gaunt QC, Stephen Jourdan QC, Anthony Radevsky and Mark Sefton.
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