If you are involved in a dispute regarding compliance with civil law and regulations, you may receive or seek to obtain a regulatory notice. In this case, we can advise you on what steps you should take and your rights and responsibilities.
What are regulatory notices?
Similar to injunctions, these are court orders which require the respondent to take or cease a specified action.
Unlike injunctions, however, regulatory notices typically address breaches of obligations under public law such as housing regulations or planning permission.
They typically arise after a local authority receives and investigates a complaint, such as repeated noise disturbances from a residence.
Examples of notices you may seek or receive include:
- Abatement notices – These are served by a local authority to the owner or occupier of a property and orders the remedy of a specific ‘nuisance’, such as excessive noise, a strong, unpleasant odour or improper waste management.
- Improvement notices – You might receive an improvement notice if a property you own does not comply with the relevant standards such as health and safety regulations, and you will be required to rectify this.
- Enforcement notices – A local authority might issue one of these if an owner or developer has used land without the correct permissions or has contravened planning regulations.
Failure to act on a regulatory notice can result in heavy financial penalties or court-ordered compensation under civil law.
How can Mander Hadley help?
We understand that dispute resolution can be complex and that sometimes a court notice is the most effective way to enforce rights or prevent disturbance or harm.
If you are presented with a notice of abatement, enforcement or improvement, we can advise you on the next steps, meeting your obligations and taking steps to challenge the order if necessary.
We can also provide guidance to parties impacted by civil law infringement.
