SERVICE OF PROCEEDINGS: SECTION 1140 OF THE COMPANIES ACT CAN BE USED TO SERVE A DIRECTOR RESIDENT ABROAD
In Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank PJSC v Shetty & Ors [2020] EWHC 3423 (Comm) [a case newly arrived on BAILII) Mr Justice Bryan held that s.1140 of the Companies Act 2006 can be used to serve proceedings on a director,…
SERVICE OF THE CLAIM FORM: AMBIGUITY IN DEFENDANT’S INSTRUCTIONS LED TO A (VERY RARE) CASE OF A CLAIMANT SUCCEEDING ON CPR 6.15
In London Fluid System Technologies Ltd & Ors, R (On the Application Of) v HM Revenue and Customs [2023] EWHC 2206 (Admin) Mrs Justice Foster made an order under CPR 6.15 when the claimants had mistakenly served the defendant at…
CLAIMANT FAILS TO SERVE THE CLAIM FORM PROPERLY: DEFENDANT FAILS TO NOTICE AND APPLIES TO STRIKE OUT ACTION: APPLICATION WAS UNNECCESARY & DEFENDANT NOT AWARDED COSTS
In Johnson v Devon And Cornwall Police & Ors [2023] EWHC 690 (Ch) HHJ Paul Matthews (sitting as a High Court Judge) held that a defendant should have known that the proceedings against it had not been served properly. The…
ANOTHER CLAIM FORM ISSUE: NO SEAL NO CASE: “SERVICE MEANS HAVING A SEALED CLAIM FORM IN HAND WHICH CAN BE PROVIDED TO THE DEFENDANT”
In Clewer v Higgs & Sons (a firm) [2023] EWHC 1556 (Ch) Mr Justice Adam Johnson upheld a decision that the claimants had failed to serve a claim form properly. The judge held that the requirement to serve a sealed…
COURT OF APPEAL UPHOLDS DECISION NOT TO GRANT RELIEF FROM SANCTIONS: PROBLEMS WITH ISSUE, SERVICE AND NOTICE OF APPLICATIONS: ALL LITIGATION LIFE IS HERE…
In Elo Trustees Ltd v Bonhams 1793 Ltd & Anor [2023] EWCA Civ 664 the Court of Appeal upheld a decision not to give relief from sanctions. The case is illustrative of a large number of the dangers of litigation….
CLAIMANTS COME TO GRIEF OVER SERVICE OF UNSEALED CLAIM FORM: COURT OF APPEAL HOLD THAT CPR 3.10 APPLIES TO DEFENDANT’S MISCARACTERISED APPLICATION
It is rarely possible to get to the end of a month without some kind of discussion on this blog about service of the claim form. This month is no exception. In Pitalia & Anor v NHS England [2023] EWCA…
CLAIMANT SUCCESSFUL ON APPEAL ON “LATE” SERVICE OF CLAIM FORM ISSUE: THE COURT CANNOT BACKDATE DATE OF SEAL ON A CLAIM FORM
I am grateful to barrister Henry Bankes-Jones for sending me a copy of the Court of Appeal decision today in Walton -v- Pickerings Solicitors and F Brophy [2023] EWCA Civ 602. Walton v Pickerings final The Court of Appeal allowed…
“IT WAS TWENTY YEARS AGO TODAY”: A BATCH OF SERVICE OF THE CLAIM FORM CASES IN THE COURT OF APPEAL: A CHANCE TO REVIEW (OR REMINISCE..)
The Court of Appeal judgment in Cranfield & Anor v Bridgegrove Ltd. [2003] EWCA Civ 656 was given 20 years ago today. One of the aims of that judgment was to clarify issues relating to service of the claim form…
ANOTHER CLAIM FORM CASE TO BRIGHTEN UP YOUR DAY: SERVICE AT THE LAST KNOWN ADDRESS: CLAIMANT SUCCESSFUL IN HIS ARGUMENTS ABOUT KNOWLEDGE
There are a number of issues relating to service of the claim form in the judgment of Peter MacDonald Eggers KC (sitting as a High Court Judge) in Boettcher v (Xio (UK) LLP & Ors [2023] EWHC 801 (Comm). Here…
FAILURE TO SERVE A DEFENDANT PROPERLY AND ISSUING OUT OF TIME: HIGH COURT DECISION
In Muhammad v Daily The News International & Ors (Rev1) [2023] EWHC 674 (KB) Master Cook determined a number of procedural issues. Here we look at two: (1) the failure to serve on a defendant properly; (2) the question of…
ISSUING IN HASTE BEFORE APRIL 6th: DO NOT REPENT AT LEISURE WITH SERVICE ISSUES IN FOUR MONTHS’ TIME
I have been told that there has been a flurry of activity this week with claimants anxious to issue proceedings before the change in the rules relating to QOCS. One problem with this is that there will now be numerous…
AGREEING EXTENSIONS OF TIME FOR SERVICE: THE ESSENTIAL POINT THAT THEY MUST BE IN WRITING
An interesting issue about “agreements” is referred to in the judgment of Mr Justice Kerr in Clarion Housing Association Ltd v Crest Nicholson Operations Ltd [2023] EWHC 620 (TCC). I will be looking at the case in more detail later. …
SERVICE ON A SOLICITOR WAS NOT DEFECTIVE: WHAT IS MEANT BY A “PLACE OF BUSINESS”?
In Ellison Road Ltd v Mian (t/a HKH Kenwright & Cox Solicitors) & Anor [2023] EWHC 375 (Ch) Master Brightwell rejected a defendant’s argument that he had not been properly served at his “place of business”. The case shows the…
THE CLAIMANT HAD SIX WEEKS TO ISSUE AND SERVE THE CLAIM FORM AND WAS ONE DAY LATE: RELIEF FROM SANCTIONS REFUSED
In Halton Borough Council v Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing And Communities [2023] EWHC 293 (Admin) HHJ Stephen Davies (sitting as a High Court Judge) refused a claimant’s application for relief from sanctions. This was a case where…
COURT REFUSES CLAIMANT’S APPLICATION FOR RETROSPECTIVE EXTENSION OF TIME TO SERVE THE CLAIM FORM:CLAIMANT’S ARGUMENTS THAT CPR 3.9 APPLIED FAILED TO FLY
Regular readers may be concerned that we have got through to the second week of February of the year and we have not yet had a claims form case. (There are several in the pipeline.) I am grateful to barrister…
HAVE THE DEFENDANTS’ SOLICITORS STATED THAT THEY WILL ACCEPT SERVICE? ANOTHER TRICKY CLAIM FORM ISSUE
In Motorola Solutions, Inc & Anor v Hytera Communications Corporation Ltd & Ors [2022] EWHC 2887 (Comm) Mr Justice Picken considered an issue relating to valid service. A firm of solicitors, that stated it would accept service of proceedings, argued…
ONE DAY OUT – BUT STILL TOO LATE: WEBINAR ON SERVICE OF THE CLAIM FORM CASES IN 2022: 14th OCTOBER 2022: “RELIANCE ON NON-COMPLIANT SERVICE IS NOT ONE OF THE INSTANCES OF OPPORTUNISM DEPRECATED BY THE COURTS”
This webinar is of interest to all litigators. It covers recent cases where there have been issues relating to the claim form. These cases involve litigation at every level, including the Court of Appeal, the Administrative Court, the High Court…
WHY APPLYING FOR AN EXTENSION OF TIME TO SERVE THE CLAIM FORM IS A DANGEROUS BUSINESS: A CASE TODAY AND SOME REMINDERS
The judgment of HHJ Hodge KC in Harrington Scott Ltd v Coupe Bradbury Solicitors Ltd (PROFESSIONAL NEGLIGENCE – Solicitors – Loss of opportunity to pursue claim to trial – Damages – Defendant’s application to strike out and for summary judgment)…
CASES ON SERVICE OF THE CLAIM FORM IN 2022: WHAT LITIGATORS CAN, AND MUST LEARN FROM THEM: WEBINAR 14th OCTOBER 2022
2022 has seen some significant decisions in relation to service of the claim form, with many claimants coming to grief due to basic errors made when serving, or attempting to serve. This webinar “One Day Out” but still too late:…
IT IS THE CLAIMANTS’ JOB TO SERVE THE CLAIM FORM ON TIME: HIGH COURT REJECTS ARGUMENT THAT DEFENDANTS WERE ESTOPPED FROM TAKING THE POINT: CLAIMANTS’ OTHER ARGUMENT COME TO GRIEF
We are always seeing new ways in which mistakes are made in relation to service of the claim form. In Lonsdale & Ors v Wedlake Bell Llp & Ors [2022] EWHC 2169 (QB)the claimants agreed an extension of time to…
PROVING THINGS 235: PROVING SERVICE: COUNCIL’S WHOLESALE FAILURE TO SERVE CLAIM FORMS PROPERLY: ATTEMPTS AT PERSONAL SERVICE WERE A PREREQUISITE TO SERVICE BY ALTERNATIVE MEANS
An important point as to service of the claim form arose in the judgment of Mr Justice Nicklin in Thurrock Council v Stokes & Ors [2022] EWHC 1998 (QB). The claimant had issued proceedings against multiple defendants. It obtained an…
CLAIMANT FAILS TO GET AN EXTENSION OF TIME FOR SERVICE OF THE CLAIM FORM: IN A CASE WHERE THE COURT HAD LOST THE FILE AND NOT SENT OUT A SEALED CLAIM FORM WITHIN THE FOUR MONTH PERIOD
NB THIS DECISION WAS OVERTURNED BY THE COURT OF APPEAL. SEE THE BLOG POST ABOUT THE APPEAL DECISION HERE. The judgment of Robin Vos (sitting as a Deputy Judge of the High Court) in Walton v Pickerings Solicitors & Anor…
THE IMPORTANT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A PROSPECTIVE AND RETROSPECTIVE APPLICATION TO SERVE A CLAIM FORM: “CLEAR WATER” BETWEEN THE TWO TESTS: COURT OF APPEAL OVERTURNS ORDER SETTING ASIDE A PROSPECTIVE APPLICATION FOR SERVICE
In ST v BAI (SA) Trading As Brittany Ferries [2022] EWCA Civ 1037 the Court of Appeal overturned a decision, itself made on appeal, where a prospective application to extend time for service of the claim form was set aside….
WHAT A DIFFERENCE A DAY MAKES: RELIEF FROM SANCTIONS REFUSED WHEN PARTICULARS OF CLAIM WERE SERVED ONE DAY LATE
There were complicated factors involved in the judgment of Deputy Master Marsh in Croke & Anor v National Westminster Bank Plc & Ors [2022] EWHC 1367 (Ch), however the action failed because the claimant was one day late in serving…
PERSONAL SERVICE EFFECTIVE WHEN DOCUMENTS PUT THROUGH THE DOOR OF A LETTERBOX: THE FOCUS IS ON THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE RECIPIENT
In Field v Del Vecchio [2022] EWHC 1117 (Ch) HHJ Paul Matthews (sitting as a High Court judge) considered whether committal proceedings had been properly served. The papers had been put through a letterbox in a flat when the defendant…
ANOTHER CLAIM FORM CASE: ANOTHER CLAIMANT COMES TO GRIEF OVER SERVICE OF AN UNSEALED CLAIM FORM: DEFENDANT,HOWEVER, SAVED BY CPR 3.10.
In Pitalia & Anor v NHS Commissioning Board [2022] EWHC 1636_2 (QB) His Honour Judge Pearce dismissed a claimant’s appeal in a case where the claim form had not been validly served. The defendant had made an error in that…
SERVICE BY EMAIL WAS NOT GOOD SERVICE: A CLAIMANT NEEDS A SPECIFIC STATEMENT THAT SERVICE WILL BE ACCEPTED: APPLICATION FOR AN EXTENSION OF TIME REFUSED
In Karanja, R (On the Application Of) v University of the West of Scotland [2022] EWHC 1520 (Admin) Michael Ford QC, sitting as a Deputy High Court Judge, found that a claim form had not been served when it was…
THE BURDEN IS ON THE SERVING PARTY TO SHOW A DOCUMENT HAS BEEN PROPERLY SERVED: SERVICE ON A RESPONDENT RESIDENT IN FRANCE HAD NOT BEEN ESTABLISHED: APPLICATION AGAINST THAT PARTY DISMISSED
In Camberley Group & Ors v Foster & Ors [2022] EWHC 1309 (QB) Richard Hermer QC, sitting as a Deputy High Court Judge, dismissed an application for disclosure from a non-party on the grounds that the claimant failed to establish…
ANOTHER FAILED SERVICE CASE: AGREEMENT TO ACCEPT SERVICE BY EMAIL DID NOT EXTEND TO DOCUMENTS ALREADY SENT
We have another case falling foul of the provisions in relation to service. In Allen v Mittal [2022] EWHC 762 (Ch) Deputy Insolvency and Companies Court Judge Agnello QC rejected an applicant’s arguments that an application had been served properly. …
COURT OF APPEAL UPHOLDS DECISION SETTING ASIDE AN EXTENSION OF TIME FOR SERVICE OF THE CLAIM FORM: CASE ON HEAD OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT GOES BUST
In Qatar Investment and Project Development Holding Company & Anor v Phoenix Ancient Art SA (Rev1) [2022] EWCA Civ 422 the Court of Appeal upheld a decision setting aside an order granting an extension of time for service of the…
WHEN DEFENDANTS MAKE AN APPLICATION IN RELATION TO SERVICE: WHAT METHOD MUST THEY USE? IS PART 11 MANDATORY?
We are taking a second look at the judgment of Lord Justice Nugee in Hand Held Products, Inc & Anor v Zebra Technologies Europe Ltd & Anor [2022] EWHC 640 (Ch). This time in relation to that part of the…
SERVING THE CLAIM FORM PROPERLY – THE DIRE PROBLEMS IF YOU DON’T, AND THE LESSONS TO BE LEARNT FROM GOOD LAW: WEBINAR 11th APRIL 2022
The decision of the Court of Appeal today in The Good Law Project, R (On the Application Of) v The Secretary of State for Health And Social Care [2022] EWCA Civ 35 emphasises the need for all litigators to know,…
COURT OF APPEAL DISMISSES APPEAL WHEN CLAIM FORM SERVED ONE DAY LATE: “RELIANCE ON NON-COMPLIANT SERVICE IS NOT ONE OF THE INSTANCES OF OPPORTUNISM DEPRECATED BY THE COURTS”
In The Good Law Project, R (On the Application Of) v The Secretary of State for Health And Social Care [2022] EWCA Civ 35 the Court of Appeal dismissed the claimant’s appeal against a a decision not granting any relief…
CLAIMANT FAILS TO SERVE CLAIM FORM PROPERLY: NOT A PLACE WHERE THIS DEFENDANT CARRIED OUT BUSINESS: SERVING THE RIGHT ZEBRA AND THE RIGHT ADDRESS
Master McCloud once wrote that it was the months of April and May that led to a seasonal crop of claim form issues in the Masters’ corridor. However, as regular readers this blog will know the season is a very…
COURT REFUSES TO MAKE AN ORDER FOR SUBSTITUTED SERVICE ON DEFENDANT’S SOLICITOR: THE DANGERS OF LEAVING SERVICE ISSUES TO THE LAST MINUTE
Another aspect of the judgment of Mr Justice Nicklin in SMO v Tiktok Inc & Ors [2022] EWHC 489 (QB) relates to the claimant’s application to serve the claim form by alternative method. This case illustrates how difficult this order…
COURT REFUSES CLAIMANT’S APPLICATION FOR AN EXTENSION OF TIME FOR SERVICE OF THE CLAIM FORM: TIME IS ALWAYS TICKING
There are a number of issues relating to service of the claim form in the judgment of Mr Justice Nicklin in SMO v Tiktok Inc & Ors [2022] EWHC 489 (QB). Here we look at the judge’s refusal to grant…
COURT REFUSES TO SET ASIDE JUDGMENT IN RELATION TO SOLICITOR’S COSTS: SERVICE AT AN ADDRESS IN THE REGISTER IS THE PRICE OF BEING A DIRECTOR
In Farrer & Co LLP v Meyer [2022] EWHC 362 (QB) Mr Justice Kerr refused to set aside a long-standing judgment on a bill for solicitor’s costs. The judgment also considered the importance of s.1140 of the Companies Act 2006….
CLAIM FAILS WHEN CLAIMANT SERVES A FIRM OF SOLICITORS AT THE WRONG ADDRESS: COURT REFUSES TO EXTEND CLAIM FORM
In Kelly v Ralli Ltd [2022] EWHC B5 (Costs) Cost Judge Rowley found that a claimant had failed to serve a claim form at the correct address. The action therefore failed. “The rules governing service are clear that it is the…
12 POINTS RELATING TO SERVICE OF THE CLAIM FORM: THINGS THAT YOU REALLY, REALLY, NEED TO KNOW: AN UPDATE
The recent Court of Appeal decision in Ideal Shopping Direct Ltd & Ors v Mastercard Incorporated & Ors [2022] EWCA Civ 14 highlights the need for constant awareness of issues relating to service of the claim form. It is an area…
AVOIDING PROCEDURAL PITFALLS IN PERSONAL INJURY LITIGATION: WEBINAR 20th JANUARY 2022
There are a number of cases reported today in relation to service of the claim form and relief from sanctions. This may be an appropriate time to remind people of the webinar on the 20th January 2020 “Avoiding Procedural Pitfalls…
SERVICE WITHOUT A SMILE: CLAIMANTS COME TO GRIEF IN THE COURT OF APPEAL: SENDING AN UNSEALED CLAIM FORM IS NOT GOOD SERVICE, THE CLAIMANTS COULD NOT RELY ON CPR 3.10
The first (but probably not the last) case on service of the claim form arrives in January, with the Court of Appeal decision in Ideal Shopping Direct Ltd & Ors v Mastercard Incorporated & Ors [2022] EWCA Civ 14. It…
SERVICE OF THE CLAIM FORM: WHEN THE DEFENDANT NEEDS AN EXTENSION OF TIME TO TAKE POINTS AS TO SERVICE: PROBLEMS BORN IN THE US OF A.
In Joe Macari Servicing Ltd v Chequered Flag International Inc [2021] EWHC 3175 (QB) Master Dagnall considered a case where the defendant required an extension of time in order to take points in relation to service of proceedings. The Master…
ARE PARTICULARS OF CLAIM PROPERLY SERVED IF SENT (AT THE 12th HOUR) IN THE POST WITH THE CLAIM FORM? CIRCUIT JUDGE DECISION ON APPEAL
I am grateful to barrister Christopher Johnson for sending me a copy of the judgment of HHJ Ralton in the case of Ellis -v- The Chief Constable of Avon & Somerset Constabulary (HHJ Ralton, 16th November 2021). The judge was…
IF YOU ARE APPLYING FOR RELIEF FROM SANCTIONS “OWN YOUR MISTAKES”: YOU HAVE TO SERVE THE PARTICULARS OF CLAIM WITHIN FOUR MONTHS: CLAIMANT IN ERROR, BUT RELIEF FROM SANCTIONS GRANTED
The judgment in Holterman v Electrium Sales Ltd & Anor [2020] EWHC 3915 (TCC) shows a “classic” error in relation to service of proceedings. The claimant served the claim form at the end of the relevant period, and the particulars…
RELIEF FROM SANCTIONS WHEN CLAIMANT WAS ONE YEAR LATE IN SERVING PARTICULARS OF CLAIM (BUT THERE IS A LITTLE MORE TO THIS…)
In Excotek Ltd v City Air Express Ltd & Anor [2021] EWHC 2615 (Comm) Mr Justice Henshaw granted a claimant relief from sanctions when it applied to serve Particulars of Claim over a year late. However the parties had agreed…
HOW ISSUING ELECTRONICALLY CAN REALLY CONFUSE CLAIMANTS: PROCEEDINGS SERVED INCORRECTLY AND LATE, SAVED BY SERVICE OF AN UNSEALED CLAIM FORM
Adding to the regular supply of cases on service of the claim form on this blog is the decision of Mr Justice Fraser in Citysprint UK Ltd v Barts Health NHS Trust [2021] EWHC 2618 (TCC). This case contains a…
SERVING PROCEEDINGS ON “PERSONS UNKNOWN”: AN ONGOING ISSUE – WITH NO EASY ANSWER
In the course of his judgment in The London Borough of Hackney v Grant& Ors [2021] EWHC 2548 (QB) Mr Justice Lavender considered the issue of service on persons unknown. WEBINAR ON SERVICE OF THE CLAIM FORM On the 24th…
SERVICE OF THE PARTICULARS OF CLAIM: IMPORTANT POINTS TO WATCH: “A TRAP FOR THE UNWARY”
We have seen many cases in relation to late service of the claim form. Different rules, and assumptions, apply to the particulars of claim. Over the years there have been many cases where service of the Particulars has caused…
WHEN A CLAIMANT’S SOLICITOR WAS “SURPRISED” ABOUT THE RULES RELATING TO SERVICE OF THE CLAIM FORM (THIS DIDN’T END WELL)
A number of people have kindly written to point out that issues relating to service of the claim form are in the news at the moment. The subject may have an interest beyond those of us involved in civil procedure. …
WHEN IS PERSONAL SERVICE EFFECTED? A CASE THAT REVIEWED THE PRINCIPLES
Since issues relating to personal service of proceedings are in the news this may a good time to review the principles. In Tseitline -v- Mikhelson [2015] EWHC 3065 (Comm) Mr Justice Phillips reviewed the rules as to whether effective personal…
You must be logged in to post a comment.