Landlords – are you breaking the Law without knowing it?

By: David Tang
Not all landlords are aware that following from the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, they are required by law to ensure all gas appliances in their rented property have an annual check by a CORGI Registered engineer, and receive a CP12 Gas Safety Certificate, to confirm it. It is also a legal requirement to provide a copy of the CP12 Certificate to your tenants after every inspection. It should detail each gas appliance, the date of inspection, any defects found and the action taken.Transco receives over 1 million reports of gas escapes each year. The law is cracking down on private landlords who fail to produce a current gas safety certificate for their properties with heavy penalties in many cases. This is because the consequences of a faulty gas appliance can be carbon monoxide poisoning, and even explosion.It is the landlord’s responsibility to ensure the gas safety check is completed annually – if access to the property is not possible, keep a record to show that you’ve tried everything in your power to carry out the inspection. Tenants should be shown how to turn the gas supply off in the event of a leak, but it needs to be made clear to them that repairs can only be carried out by a CORGI registered engineer. The Council for the Registration of Gas Installers maintains a mandatory register of gas installers in the UK who are qualified to carry out the repair safely. A CORGI installer may imply gas appliances that are being fitted for the first time but CORGI registration applies equally to tradesmen who carry out gas appliance repairs, gas servicing and gas appliance replacement.Melissa Fletcher of home emergency repair and insurance suppliers Homeserve said "Many landlords act in good faith but simply don’t realise the legal requirements regarding gas safety for their tenants. This puts them under unnecessary risk of legal action in the event of an accident."To safeguard yourself and your tenants, bear in mind the following checklists:Legal Checklist: • Have a safety check carried out on all gas appliances and flues annually or within 12 months before the start of a new tenancy. • Have gas installations and appliances serviced regularly and keep a record of the service. This ensures the properties fittings and flues are maintained in a safe condition.• Check gas installations and appliances immediately before the start of any new tenancy, even if the gas safety certificate is still current. • Have all installation, maintenance and safety checks carried out by a CORGI registered engineer only. • Keep a record of each safety check for 2 years – the CORGI installer will issue this. • Give a copy of the CORGI installer’s safety check report to each tenant within 28 days of the safety check, or to new tenants before occupation.
For a full copy of the Gas Safety Regulations, enforced by the Health and Safety Executive, see www.HMSO.gov.uk This press release has been written by Melissa Fletcher for www.Homeserve.com, specialists in home repairs and insurance. melissa.fletcher@homeserve.com Phone: 0800 073 3111
Article Source: http://www.ArticleBiz.com

Crucial Points in finding the Suitable Los Angeles Litigation Lawyer

By: Lala C. Ballatan
If you have a legal matter that has progressed into a lawsuit and needs to be tried in court for resolution, then you need a litigation lawyer to stand as representative of your case. If you are from the Los Angeles County then you have to engage the services of a litigation lawyer that is knowledgeable with the local and state laws governing the legal situation you are personally confronting.

In locating a Los Angeles litigation lawyer, you could contact the bar association in your locality or look up a lawyer referral service that may exist near your immediate area. If you fail to find the perfect lawyer you can trust with your legal concerns, then the California bar association http://www.calbar.ca.gov/state/calbar/calbar_home.jsp can be relied upon. You can also depend upon the word-of-mouth recommendation of coworkers, family members and friends who have experienced satisfying results from the attorneys they have hired for their legal matters.

It is advisable to get the names of at least three lawyers specializing in the area of law on which you require legal aid. Make an appointment with them for a chance to interview them, before finally deciding on which to retain as your legal counsel.

Take advantage of the free 30-minute consultations that some Los Angeles litigation lawyers offer. This is enough to discuss the barest facts of your case and see if the lawyer would suit with your requirements.

Here are several pertinent facts you need to find out from him or her:

1. The period of time the litigation lawyer has specialized in the type of law covering your case. The depth of experience a litigation lawyer possesses concerning a particular area of law can be determined by the length of time he or she had practiced it.

2. It is important to know the lawyer's fee system before retaining his or her services. Know the cost of his or her services and the other expenses you need to pay for.

An attorney who has a reasonable and clear fee system can provide you with an estimate of the expenses for processing, as well as the potential costs if ever you need the testimony of expert witnesses. Furthermore, he or she must also provide you with an estimation of travel fees, videotaping sessions, interrogatories and depositions, according to the requirements of your case.

3. A highly experienced Los Angeles litigation lawyer, given the most fundamental facts of the case, can already give you his or her initial assessment on how it would turn out. It is not a bad idea to ask what chances of success your case may have. He or she may give you an estimate percentage of the outcome you would likely get.

4. A competent litigation lawyer knows his or her obligation to maintain regular contact with the client. As such, you need to know how often he or she could contact you for regular updates of your case's status. It helps ease anxiety to have even a monthly update of the status your case is in, even if it there was no pertinent information, yet.

Moreover, know the most accessible communication channel your lawyer would use.

5. Know from the litigation lawyer what the course your case would likely take up. He or she must be able to provide you with a comprehensible outline of it. An expert litigation lawyer should also be able to draw up a timeline of anticipated activities you will be involved in, depending on the type of your case.

Do a rough comparative study of the litigation lawyers and choose the one who has given you satisfying answers for your queries.


Our Los Angeles Litigation Lawyer together with our other Los Angeles Attorneys strives to provide only the best litigation services for clients.

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Law and Continuing Legal Education

Adult education includes programs to improve the skills, knowledge, or sensitivity of participants after the completion of their initial formal schooling. Public and private educational institutions plus religious and professional groups sponsor adult education. These include elementary, secondary, and higher education programs and non-degree continuing education. Media and computer networks are used to increase program accessibility through distance education. So are evening and weekend seminars plus residential conferences. Legal professionals especially need to update their skills. Programming increasingly is directed to continuing professional legal education. Below you will find links to law and continuing legal education sites.