Phillip’s practise concentrates mainly on residential property issues. He does, however undertake work in relation to cases which have a mental health, capacity and community care aspect having formerly been a solicitor undertaking work in the Mental Health Review Tribunal. He is a member of Chamber’s specialist Housing group and property group. With twenty years practical experience in residential property law behind him both as a solicitor and as a barrister, he undertakes work from tribunal representation through to appellate court work.
Phillip’s career started as a housing adviser for Shelter in 1987 before being called to the Bar in 1991. Mainly specialising in residential property law, he worked in independent practice in London until 1995 when he took up a post at the Harehills & Chapeltown Law Centre, eventually re-training as a solicitor before becoming managing solicitor of the Law Centre. He returned to the Bar, joining Zenith Chambers, in January 2007.
Phillip Barber has considerable expertise in dealing with most types of residential property and landlord & tenant disputes acting for both landlords and tenants. His experience ranges from service charge disputes through to disrepair claims and possession actions.
Areas of Expertise
- Residential property law – service charge disputes; possession claims; homelessness; disrepair; mortgage and real property disputes; consumer credit
- Cases involving mental health; mental capacity and community care
Reported Cases
- Re North East Property Buyer Litigation[2010] All ER (D) 275 (Nov) - Represented the Defendants in relation to possession proceedings by the claimants mortgagees against the defendant mortgagors and occupiers, the Chancery Division of the High Court ruled on certain preliminary issues, including the question as to whether, with reference to of the Land Registration Act 2002, any of the interests alleged by the defendants were capable of being interests affecting the estate immediately before and-or at the time of the disposition, namely the transfer and-or charge of the properties in question, sufficient to be an overriding interest pursuant to para 1 and-or 2 of Sch 3 to the 2002 Act.
Notable Cases
- acted on behalf of a large social landlord in relation to a complex disrepair issue;
- junior counsel in a group of test cases relating to sale and leaseback of residential property;
- acted for the management company of a large purpose build block of flats in relation to a service charge dispute
Seminars
Phillip provides training on residential property and related matters. He is a speaker at external and in-house Seminars undertaken by Chambers.
He is a confident and engaging speaker, having formerly lectured in Housing Law at Leeds Metropolitan University and also for Shelter Training Services.
