Torts Connected to Land: Private Nuisance Flashcards
What is a private nuisance? What sort of action is it?
- An interference with a person’s enjoyment and use of their land
- Civil action
When the courts and law reports refer to a ‘nuisance’, they are usually referring to what type of nuisance?
- Private nuisance
When statute law refers to a ‘nuisance’ it usually means what type of nuisance?
- Both public and private, unless stated otherwise
What are the three kinds of private nuisance? Give an example for each
- Nuisance by encroachment on a neighbour’s land e.g the roots from a tree in a person’s garden grow under the ground and into their neighbours’ garden, damaging the foundations of their house
- Nuisance by direct physical injury to a neighbour’s land e.g driving a car over a neighbour’s garden. damaging it
- Nuisance by interference with a neighbour’s quiet enjoyment of their land e.g playing music all throught the night, preventing the neighbour from sleeping
Name two key cases for private nuisance
- Hunter and Others v London Docklands Corporation (1997)
- Hunter and Others v Canary Wharf Ltd (1997)
What happened in Hunter and Others v London Docklands Corporation (1997)? What did the case arise from? What did the action concern? Who brought it? What were the 2 issues? What was held?
- Arose from the construction of a tower block at Canary Wharf
- Action concerned the effects of the construction work
- Local residents brought the action
- The two issues were whether excessive dust could be sufficient to constitute damage to property for the purposes of negligence and whether an interest in property was needed to bring an action
- HELD - the mere deposit of dust was not in itself sufficient because it was an inevitable incident of urban life. In order to bring an action there had to be damage in the sense of the actual property
- ALSO HELD - only householders with a right to land could bring an action in private nuisance
In holding that only households with a right to land could bring an action in private nuisance (Hunter and Others v London Docklands Corporation (1997)), what decision did the House of Lords reject? What decision did it uphold?
- Rejected the decision in Khorasandjian v Bush (1993)
- Upheld the decision in Malone v Laskey (1907)
What happened in Hunter and Others v Canary Wharf Ltd (1997)? What was the complaint? What was the issue? What was held?
- Claimants complained that the erection of the Canary Wharf tower interfered with their television reception
- ISSUE - whether interference with TV reception was capable of giving rise to an actionable nuisance
- HELD - there is no right of action in nuisance for interference with the television reception. It’s the same as the obstruction of a view
In property law, one can reserve one’s right to something by creating a what? What is it?
- A covenant
- An agreed clause in a contract or lease that stipulates that one will be able to enjoy these when one buys a property and can sue if it is infringed
What is an easement?
- A right of access over land that can be enforced in property law
What are the three elements to proving a private nuisance by interference?
- An indirect interference with the enjoyment of the land
- The interference was unreasonable
- The interference has caused damage
Can the interference in private nuisance be a one off event?
- No, it must be continuous
The key to succeeding in a private nuisance claim for interference is what? What does this include? What makes it more likely that you will establish your claim/injunction?
- Whether the nuisance complained of makes it it physically unpleasant for you to remain in your property
- Includes things like pig smells
- The more physical the interference, the more likely it is that one will be able to establish a claim
In what case was it decided that a person cannot claim for the spoiling of a ‘thing of delight’ such as a view?
- Bland v Mosely (1587)
Name a case for tree root encroachment
- Davey v The Harrow Corporation (1958)
What happened in Sedleigh Denfield v O’Callaghan (1940)
- A grate negligently placed over a drainage pipe led to blockage which in turn caused damage
What happened in Christie v Davey (1893)?
- Defendant’s banging on the wall with a tray to disrupt music lessons was deemed to have been acting maliciously
What was held in Wheeler v JJ Saunders (1995)?
- The granting on planning permission is one way of doing what you want with the land you own/occupy, but if you cause a nuisance it will not protect you from an action in tort
What was held in Thompson Schwab v Costack (1956)?
- Running a brothel in an otherwise respectable street held to be a nuisance as it would have impacted on property valuations, so the nuisance was tangible
The occupier of land can be open to a claim for a nuisance that they what?
- Continue or prolong
If an occupier is aware of the nuisance’s existence and does nothing about it, or fails to take reasonable precautions, then this is the same as what?
- Creating a nuisance
What did the court have to decide in Leakey v National Trust (1980)? What was a factor in deciding this? What did the court decide?
- Court had to decide what was reasonable for the defendant to do about preventing a landslip occurring that was predictable
- A factor in deciding this was the financial means of the defendant to do something to prevent it
- The National Trust had means to act but failed, and their inaction was therefore unreasonable
What happened in Holbeck Hall v Scarborough Borough Council (2000)? What was held? What was held on appeal? Under what principle did the court assess the duty imposed? What case decided this principle? What was decided?
- Defendant owned land between the claimant’s hotel and the sea
- Landslip took place
- Council held liable
- Deemed not liable on appeal
- The court are to take into account the resources of the defendant
- Leakey v National Trust (1980)
- Decided that laying down a rule which requires every defendant to make a physical and economic effort in unsought circumstances would be unjust and unfair
What happened in Bybrook Barn Garden Centre v Kent County Council (2001)? What was held?
- Claimant’s garden centre damaged by flood water that came through a drainage pipe that had to deal with increased drainage due to change in land use to the surrounding area
- HELD - CoA agreed with the test set out in Leakey v National Trust (1980), but held that the council would probably have an obligation by law to resolve the hazard as well as the resources needed
When is someone with an interest in the land actually liable as a defendant? (3)
- Where a nuisance existed before the owners rented the land or permitted occupation of it - and they actually knew or should have known about the nuisance
- Where there is an ongoing obligation on the part of the owner to carry out repairs etc
- Where the owner can be said to have actually authorised the nuisance
What happened in Wringe v Cohen (1940)? What was held?
- Defendant’s house was in structural disrepair and it fell, causing damage to the claimant’s shop
- HELD - the court upheld the claim in nuisance
What was held in Tetley v Chitty (1986)? Why?
- Council who allowed their land to be used for go-kart racing was liable for the noise nuisance
- As they ought to have known of the likely nuisance arising
What happened in Lippiat v South Gloucestershire City Council (1999)?
- The council was deemed responsible for the anti-social activities of a group of travelers that it had permitted to use the council land
What was decided in Lippiat v South Gloucestershire City Council (1999)?
- The nuisance carried out by guests or licensees must actually be carried out from the land to the detriment of the claimant - it is not enough that he guests are simply noisy or disruptive
What happened in Hussain v Lancaster City Council (1999)? What was decided?
- The council tenants were not actually using the land - their behaviour meant that their occupation of the land was incidental, and not part of the nuisance that they were causing
- The nuisance must involve some physical connection with the land
What happened in Cocking v Eacott (2016)? What was the issue? What was held? Why?
- Deals with the issue of whether to sue an occupier or a tenant. The case centered on who was responsible for a dog barking
- Court held that the mum was still the occupier and the daughter merely had permission (license) to stay. The mum controlled the property and could enter at will
Are all annoyances actionable? Explain and give an example
- No
- Just because something is an annoyance does not mean it is actionable in private nuisance
- E.g interference with television signals by a building is an annoyance but is not actionable as a private nuisance
A successful private nuisance must have what three elements?
- The claimant must have an interest in the land
- There must be unreasonable use of the land which is the source of the nuisance
- The claimant must suffer some harm
What does an ‘interest in the land’ mean in terms of private nuisance?
- A person must own or have a right over the land to make a claim in private nuisance
Who is considered to not have an interest in the land? What does this mean?
- Persons such as visitors, family members and lodgers
- They cannot make a claim of private nuisance