PROPERTY LAW

Nigel Read damage to the brickwork around my front door. Who is responsible for putting it right? our double-glazing had to come back to rectify some minor problems. He made several appointments but failed to keep them, with the result that my wife lost four days’ pay waiting in for him. The firm has offered us £100 compensation but it cost my wife double that. FAILURE to keep an appointment could be regarded as a breach of contract, and technically you may be able to sue the company for any losses you incurred as a result. However the firm could argue that it wasn’t aware that your wife would suffer loss of earnings, or that she didn’t need to wait in the whole day. A court might think their offer of £100 was reasonable in the circumstances, so it would probably be advisable to accept it. And perhaps go elsewhere if you need further doubleglazing.

NO NEED FOR PROBATE

MY only relative is my son, so I haven’t made a will on the assumption that everything I own will be his one day. I have some money in the bank to cover funeral costs, and they tell me that as long as my son produces my death certificate he will have no trouble getting the money. Is this correct? ONLY in so far as the funeral will be paid for. It’s true that, where sums less than £5,000 are involved, banks and buildings societies may agree to pay out on production of a death certificate and the swearing of a declaration