Matthew is the Head of 3PB’s Property and Estate’s Group and his property practice encompasses real property and landlord and tenant disputes and includes matters of easements, covenants, boundary disputes (including trespass and nuisance) and adverse possession as well as commercial and residential landlord and tenant issues including forfeiture and lease renewals. Along with substantial trial experience, Matthew has experience of interim remedy applications, including those required at very short notice.
His real property work includes all aspects of land disputes, including neighbour disputes and claims involving the Party Wall etc Act 1996, and Matthew works hard with his clients to utilise alternative dispute resolution options including, in particular, formal mediations, and to avoid litigation progressing to determination at trial wherever possible. Given the nature of this work, Matthew is experienced in acting in matters against litigants in person.
Matthew’s landlord and tenant work includes representing landlords and tenants in commercial disputes and, primarily, landlords in residential disputes. Matthew has experience of acting for breweries in pub-based commercial landlord and tenant matters and acting for banks and building societies in claims involving defaulting mortgagors. Matthew also has experience of acting for utility companies in relation to warrants of entry in residential, commercial and agricultural land under the Electricity Act 1989 and the Rights of Entry (Gas and Electricity Boards) Act 1989.
Whilst Matthew regularly appears in the High Court and County Court, he has also experience of appearing before the various specialist tribunals, including First-tier Tribunal Property Chamber and its predecessors the Adjudicator to HM Land Registry and Leasehold Valuation Tribunal.
He regularly provides seminars and lectures to solicitors and business clients on the various aspects of property law.
Notable cases
- J v R (2019, First-tier Tribunal Property Chamber (Residential Property)) – Representing a long leaseholder in a claim against the freeholder for the appointment of a manager under s. 24A of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1987 and an order under s. 20C of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985.
- Trecarrell House Ltd v Rouncefield – Representing the landlord respondent in the first appeal of a claim relating to the same issues as those raised in Caridon Property Ltd v Shooltz (as to which, see directly below).
- Caridon Property Ltd v Shooltz [2018] WLUK 712 – Representing the landlord appellant in an appeal relating to service of a gas safety certificate and possession proceedings under section 21 of the Housing Act 1988.
- W v E (2018, County Court) – Representing a landowner in a claim relating to the Party Wall etc Act 1996; the dispute related to whether the information given by the neighbouring landowner to the party wall surveyors was accurate and how this affected the award which was subsequently made by the surveyors.
- Edgeworth v Manley (2018, County Court) – Representing homeowners in a dispute with their neighbour relating to the relocation of a boundary fence on the day of completion of the purchase of their home.
- A v B (2018) – Acting for a utility company to enter agricultural land in order to maintain electrical lines and poles situated on the land where the landowner was refusing to grant such access and also failing to maintain trees on his land which were interfering with the lines.
- A Local Authority v A (2017, County Court) – Representing a local authority, acting on behalf of a school, seeking to obtain an injunction against a parent of a child at the school, preventing them from entering the school premises or harassing members of staff.
- A Local Authority v Persons Unknown (2016, 2017, High Court) – Representing a local authority to obtain an injunction against Persons Unknown preventing them from occupying a park and ride site and then subsequently seeking to obtain an order for permission to issue a writ of sequestration on the basis of non-compliance with the injunction.
- Williams v Johnson and others [2016] All ER (D) 17 (Jan) – Representing land owners in a six-day trial involving issues of boundary identification, interpretation of restrictive covenants and allegations of flooding, harassment and breach of covenant.
