10 - TORT - Land Flashcards
What is private nuisance?
Any
- continuous activity โญ๏ธ๐ทโโ๏ธ
- causing substantial & unreasonable interference ๐๐คช๐ก
- with a Cโs land or their use/employment of that land๐ก
Who can sue for private nuisance?
Must have a legal interest in the land (freehold / leasehold)
๐ก
Who can be sued for private nuisance?
- Creator of nuisance ๐ฅ
- Occupier of land from which nuisance originates ๐ซ
- Owner of the land ๐ฉ
E.g. - independent contractors (if occupier asks); ๐ทโโ๏ธ
- trespassers/visitors/predecessors in title (occupier liable if adopt nuisance); ๐ฆนโโ๏ธ
- naturally occurring nuisances (occupier liable where they knew & failed to take reasonable steps to abate it) ๐ชฟ
What are the cases on who can be sued for private nuisance?
๐ฅ
- occupier liable for excessive noise and dust caused by contractors on his property. ๐ท๐ฌ๏ธ
- water pipe laid unlawfully beneath Dโs land causing a flood. D had used pipe (adopted) and so liable. ๐ช๐ฐ๐
- Lighting caused a fire, D doused fire but left embers, fire reignited and damaged Cโs property. โก๏ธ๐ฅ๐ง๐ฅ
- LL allowed a motor-sport on his land - noise was not inevitable so LL had not participated in nuisance ๐ฉ๐๏ธ๐โ
When can a landlord be liable for a tenantโs nuisance?
- Where they authorised it, ๐โ๏ธ
- by actively participating or ๐คก๐ฅ๐ฉ๐ธ
- by leasing, where there was a very high probability that leasing would create the nuisance ๐งจ
What losses are recoverable for private nuisance?
๐ฅ
- Property damage (more than de minimus) ๐๏ธ
- Sensible personal discomfort (more than fanciful & must materially interfere with ordinary human comfort) ๐ตโ๐ซ
Can a claim be made for personal injury under private nuisance?
No ๐ก๐ ๐คโ
What are the requirements for private nuisance?
- Indirect Interference (intangible e.g noise, fumes) ๐จ
- Recognised Damage (that is reasonable foreseeable) ๐๏ธ๐ง
- Continuous Act (unless a single incident caused by underlying state of affairs or for Ryland v Fletcher) โญ๏ธ
- Unlawful Interference: must be unreasonable considering ordinary usage of a man living in a particular society (consider time/duration; area, abnormal sensitivity; malice; excessive behaviour)๐งโโ๏ธ๐คก
What are the considerations for โUnlawful interferenceโ?
๐จโโ๏ธ๐ก
- Time & Duration ๐ฐ๏ธ
- Locality ๐ก
- Abnormal sensitivity ๐ท
- Malice ๐คฌ
- Dโs carelessness ๐ซฃ
- Excessive behaviour ๐คช
What are the exceptions to โcontinuous actโ required for private nuisance?
- factory with metal foil strips, harm was caused in one go, but factory had been warned about leaving strips outside before.
๐๐ญ๐จโก๏ธ๐ณ
What are the cases regarding time & location when considering โunlawful interferenceโ for private nuisance? ๐ฐ๏ธ๐ก
- motor boats = short lived so less likely to be unlawful ๐ค โฑ๏ธ
- Sweet business in a residential area near a Doctor caused a nuisance but may not have been on an industrial estate ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฅผ๐ก
- planning permission can change the nature of the โlocalityโ so what was a nuisance no longer is - e.g. area became a dock with heavy traffic so changed local area = no nuisance ๐๐ก๐ข๐
- but PP for a pig pen did not change local area so smell caused nuisance. ๐๐ท๐ฉ
- speedway with PP in a rural area still caused a nuisance.๐๐ก๐๏ธ
What are the cases regarding abnormal sensitivity when considering โunlawful interferenceโ for private nuisance? ๐ท
- Cโs heat sensitive paper was ruined by the heat from Dโs manufacturing business in the cellar. No nuisance as C was abnormally sensitive.
โ๏ธโจ๏ธ๐ฐ - C grew orchids, Dโs factory fumes damaged plants in general so C could claim as the nuisance was caused generally (thin skull rule).
๐ท๐ญ๐จ๐ฒโ ๏ธ๐ค
What are the cases regarding malice when considering โunlawful interferenceโ for private nuisance? ๐คฌ
C was a music teacher who disturbed D. D made noises to get his own back. Dโs malice made his interference unlawful
๐ผ๐คฌ๐ฅ๐ณ
What are the cases regarding defendants lack of care when considering โunlawful interferenceโ for private nuisance?
๐ซฃ
Normally neighbours have to put up with a certain amount of noise dust etc. from building works. But may be unlawful if building works could have been less disruptive
๐ซฃ๐๏ธ๐ฌ๏ธ
What are the cases regarding excessive behaviour when considering โunlawful interferenceโ for private nuisance?
๐คช
D owned 100s of pheasants who damaged Cโs crops - unlawful.
๐คช๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐พ
What defences are there for private nuisance?
๐คบ
- 20 Yearsโ Prescription: length of time C could have complained - no action taken within that time โ๏ธ
- Statutory Authority: where all due care has been exercised & nuisance is an inevitable consequence - oil refinery in Wales ๐ฌ๐ง
- Consent: C specifically agrees to D causing nuisance, or shown willingness ๐ค
Contributory Negligence - C consented to colliery so must have consented to coal dust๐ค๐ณ๏ธ๐ฌ๏ธ - Act of 3rd Party: not liable unless adopt/continue nuisance ๐ฅธ
- Act of God: not liable unless adopt/continue it ๐งโโ๏ธ๐ฉ๏ธ
- Necessity ๐จ
Is โmoving to the nuisanceโ a defence?
No
๐๐ฅโ
What remedies are there for private nuisance?
๐ฅ
- Damages: where nuisance caused physical damage ๐ช
- Injunction (most common): full or partial ๐ฆ
- Abatement: self-help