Mark Evans - President of the Chester and North Wales Law Society 2014/15

Mark Evans has been elected as the President of the Chester & North Wales Law Incorporated Society for 2014/15 having served on the Committee for a number of years. Mark, aged 42, has always lived in or around Holywell, North Wales and since 1993 has worked in both the Wrexham and Chester offices of Allington Hughes Law.

At the Annual General Meeting on the 18^th February 2014 Mark said “I am very honoured to have been elected as President of this cross border society and will do my best to maintain the high standards of my predecessors. This year I would like to celebrate and promote the achievements of Lawyers not only for the varied and challenging work they do on a daily basis, but for the part many Lawyers play within modern family life and the local community. Outside of work Lawyers play an active but often unrecognised part in Society whether it be sporting, musical, theatrical or in many cases as a volunteer.”

Mark hosted the Annual Dinner on Friday 21^st February 2014, with 230 guests attending, including the National President of the Law Society of England and Wales, Nicholas Fluck, who was also one of the speakers at the event. Mark Evans then made his speech before guest speakers Peter Lewis of Wright Manley and his honour Judge Rodger Dutton said a few words. 

Everyone at Allington Hughes Ltd would like to congratulate Mark and wish him the very best of luck in his new role as President.

You can see photos of the event on our Facebook page by clicking here.

From left to right: His Honour Judge Roger Dutton, Peter Lewis of Wright Manley, Mark Evans President of the Chester and North Wales Law Society and Nicholas Fluck President of the Law Society of England and Wales.

North Wales Crusaders Off to a Winning Start

Sunday 16th Feb saw the start of the 2014-15 season for the North Wales Crusaders in the Kingstone Press Championship.

Having produced a superb season in 2013 winning both the Championship 1 League trophy and the Northern Rail Bowl, not to mention promotion to the 2nd tier in professional Rugby League, the Kingstone Press Championship. There is a great buzz around the club at the moment and support is growing within Wrexham and the surrounding area.

Here is the full match report from this weekend courtesy of Ryan Gould.

North Wales Crusaders claimed an opening day victory over Barrow Raiders despite playing for half an hour with 12 men.

Off-season recruit Michael Platt was sent off for fighting – but that only spurred on the Welsh side as they recorded two tries to Barrow’s none while playing with one man less.

Tries from Stuart Reardon, Rob Massam and Karl Ashall helped Crusaders on their way to a 18-12 half-time advanatage, and further tries after the break from Johnson, Craig Ashall and Adamson cancelled out Dalton Grant’s effort just after half-time.

Stuart Reardon went close early on but he couldn’t collect Jamie Dallimore’s grubber kick, which had a bit too much weight on it.

But it was Reardon who gave Crusaders the lead. Jonny Walker hit the line and managed to offload the ball out of the tackle for Reardon to cross in the left corner.

It didn’t take long for the visitors to come up with a response, though, as Dalton Grant collected a misplaced pass from Stephen Wild and raced clear to score.

Crusaders soon regained the lead when, from a neat grubber kick from Jamie Dallimore, Rob Massam slid in at the corner.

The home side had possession stacked on their side. They couldn’t make the most of it and Barrow made them pay, as Dalton Grant pushed away tackles from Adam Clay and Mark Offerdahl to go over for his second.

Shortly afterwards Crusaders conceded a penalty for interference at the play-the-ball – and Ian Mort slotted over the goal from infront of the posts.

It looked as though the sides would be heading in to the break on levels terms, but Karl Ashall saw a gap in the Barrow defence and scooted over for a try from acting half a minute before the hooter

Whatever Barrow coach Anthony Murray said to his side at the break, it certainly worked as Dalton Grant collected a loose ball to cross for his hat-trick try.

Crusaders were dealt a huge blow on the next set after Grant’s try when Michael Platt was sent off for punching.

However, that had no affect on Crusaders – they simply got stronger after the dismissal. Tommy Johnson managed to squeeze his way over the line from close range a couple of minutes after.

Craig Ashall then went over for a similar to his brother’s, spotting a gap and darting through to score.

A big defensive effort kept Barrow out for the remainder of the game and a try from Toby Adamson, set up by Andy Moulsdale on the overlap, capped off a great opening victory for Crusaders.

Allington Hughes are again delighted to be involved with the club this year as we continue our sponsorship of club captain Andy Moulsdale, while also advertising at the ground and holding our joint annual golf day in the summer.

We are looking forward to updating the blog with the Crusaders progress throughout the season, and wish them the very best of luck - Come on Cru!

North Wales Crusaders

Coach Clive Griffiths with captain Andy Moulsdale alongside Chairman of the Crusaders and Director at Allington Hughes Ian Edwards. 

Boundary Disputes Q&A

With the cold days of winter almost behind us, we start to prepare for the seasons of spring and summer. 

Whether you are preparing to move home or simply readying yourself for nature’s annual growth spurt, this time of year can cause many headaches when it comes to your boundaries.

Luke Pritchard of our Chester office has produced a Q&A to answer some of the questions you might have.

  

Where is the boundary?

Identifying your boundary can be a complex task.  As a starting point, you should consult your title documents.  If your land is registered at the Land Registry, your title documents (including a plan) can be obtained from the Land Registry online service for a small fee. 

The plan will give a general indication of the boundary, but cannot be relied upon absolutely.  In many circumstances, where the plan is taken out to the scale of the land, the line on the plan could be two to three metres wide.  In this instance, the boundary could lie anywhere within that two to three metre area.

You should consider any features of the land which clearly delineate the intended boundary i.e. a fence/hedge.  In the absence of such features, identifying the boundary may come down to the manner in which the land has been used previously.

Who is responsible for maintaining the boundary?

There are many urban myths in relation to the maintenance of a boundary.

There is no hard and fast rule for determining the party responsible for maintenance and each property must be considered as an individual case.

If there is an obligation on you to maintain a particular boundary, this should be set out within the deeds. 

What do I do if I suspect my neighbour of trespassing on my land?

Having identified the location of the boundary, you may find that a neighbour is trespassing upon your land.  This may be by parking a vehicle, using your land to access theirs (without a right of access) or by allowing trees or hedgerow to protrude onto your land.

It goes without saying that your first course of action will generally be to raise the matter with your neighbour directly, in a friendly manner.  In some circumstances, this may not be possible.  Your neighbour may not be contactable.  You may find that relations with your neighbour have become strained and this can escalate quickly in matters regarding boundaries and trespass. 

You do have the right to trim hedges and trees overhanging your land, although there is no obligation for you to do so.  You must offer the branches back to your neighbour, so it is always a good idea to inform your neighbour of your intentions if at all possible.

It will often be beneficial to obtain a fresh viewpoint.  Although the majority of disputes will never come close to a courtroom, a legal expert with experience in boundary related issues will be able to provide you with clear advice on how best to proceed with your matter.  They will also assist with setting out your position to your neighbour in a direct tone whilst enabling you to retain an amicable relationship with them.  After all, when the dust settles, you’ll still have to live next to them!

If the problem persists, your legal expert will be able to advise on the benefits of mediation, or as a last resort, using the Courts and Tribunals service to bring the matter to a close.

For further information please feel free to contact our expert advisers in Wrexham 01978 291000, Chester 01244 312166 or Llanrwst 01492 641222. 

www.allingtonhughes.co.uk - www.jrl-law.co.uk

Our Llanrwst office trading as 'Cyfraith JRL Law' are NFU legal panel members for North and Mid Wales.

Luke Pritchard, part of the Disputes team at our Chester office.

Flood Risk - Legal Issues

Director and head of the Agriculture department Mark Evans has produced an article detailing the possible implications of the recent flooding that has hit the UK.

'Flooding is a growing risk for property owners, occupiers and businesses. Aside from the physical damage caused by floods there may be future implications in obtaining a mortgage or selling/leasing a property. It may not always be obvious that a property is at risk of flooding. Properties at risk need not be close to a sea or river or on low ground. Surface water, groundwater and overflowing sewers are increasingly common causes. You can obtain information about flooding risk from government agencies such as the Environment Agency or Natural Resources Wales, your local authority and from specialist search providers.

The most important document to review is your Insurance policy relating to your home, possessions or business. If your property, possessions or business are damaged you may need to claim on your insurance and so it is essential to establish what is covered.  For those renewing a policy you may want to investigate the terms on which insurance is available from a number of different insurers. In the absence of insurance you may be eligible for help from the State in emergency situations.

If applicable you should review your lease or tenancy agreement. If you are a Landlord or Tenant what does the wording of your lease say if the property is damaged, becomes uninsured or you are made homeless. You may be liable to make good any flood damage depending on the wording of the lease.

If you are encountering any problems or require any guidance early legal advice is recommended.'

If you would like any more advice on this issue or any other query, please contact Mark or another member of our team.

 Chester - 01244 312166  Wrexham - 01978 291000  Llanrwst - 01492 641222

Mark Evans, Director and head of the Agriculture department at Allington Hughes Ltd

James Bowden

We are sad to report that James Bowden died on the 28th January 2014.

James started with Allington Hughes & Bate in 1956, becoming Senior Partner in 1970. James witnessed various changes within the practice and legal profession before his retirement as Senior Partner of Allington Hughes in 1995. he continued for a few years as a consultant and in his retirement was a frequent visitor to the Wrexham office.

James played a fundamental part in the development of the practice, and helped to recruit and train many people throughout his career, including some of the current Directors.

We will miss his company and extend to his family our sincere condolences and gratitude. 

His funeral will be at St Mary's Cathedral, Wrexham at 1pm Friday 14th February 2014.

Chris Russell Sailing - Part 1

Towards the end of 2013 Allington Hughes began supporting Chris Russell in his campaign to qualify for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. Chris has a very full schedule up until then with competition and training all over the world.

We will be keeping you up to date with regular posts about how Chris is getting along in his bid to reach the Olympic Games, and are very much looking forward to covering his exciting journey around the world.

January 2014 saw Chris stationed at a training camp out in Torrevieja, South East Spain, where he has been getting some hours in with the Spanish Olympic sailing team. This was followed by a brief rest period before he heads back out to Torrevieja to continue his training regime.

All of this is in preparation for an earlier than scheduled start to the racing season for Chris, as he feels confident on the water at the moment so will be heading out to the Andalusia Olympic Week in Cadiz at the end of February.

We look forward to keeping you up to date with race results and further news!

If you would like some more information on Chris Russell and his campaign, you can visit his website here, and keep checking back in to our Blog, Twitter and Facebook pages for regular updates.

Chris Russell on the water in Spain training with the Spanish Olympic team.

Making the most of the windy conditions in Torrevieja!