Berkeley Homes vs Danel and Alexandra Cleland-James

Developer Berkeley Homes is suing a couple who, according to a High Court writ, agreed to buy a flat in Portsmouth for £450,000, but failed to complete the deal, despite paying £21,500 and exchanging contracts.

Allegedly, completion should have taken place on 30 May this year, but when this failed to happen, Berkeley served the couple with a special notice requiring them to complete the transaction by 16 June.

The writ says the couple told the company on 23 June that they still wanted to buy the property but had to sell an existing flat first. Later, it is claimed, the couple sent emails asking for their deposit back.

William Bertram vs Martin Dawes

Architect William Bertram is suing millionaire entrepreneur Martin Dawes for an £844,000, for breach of contracts on work to turn his home into a showjumping facility.

It is claimed Bertram’s agent served a 50-page claim document on Dawes on 30 July and 16 lever arch files of supporting documents on his solicitors a day later, but Bertram says Dawes failed to follow the court’s pre-action protocol and acknowledge receipt of the claim in time. The High Court writ also says Dawes failed to file a letter of response or make a counterclaim within 28 days of 31 July, according to the court’s procedures.