Private Nuisance

Question 1

What is private nuisance

Answer 1

• Common law tort
• Def = any unlawful direct interference with C’s use/quiet enjoyment of their land

Question 2

What defines the parties in private nuisance

Answer 2

Claimant = person with legal interest in the land
- Owner
- Exclusive possession
- Landlord
- Tenant (name on tenancy agreement)
- Cannot be family members, lodgers or tenants not on agreement (Malone v Laskey, Hunter v Canary Wharf)

Defendant = creator or adopter of the nuisance
- Sedleigh Denfield v O’Callahan
- Owner/landlord/tenant (Tetley v Chitty)

Question 3

Describe the types of nuisance that falls under private nuisance

Answer 3

• Smells (Wheeler v JJ Saunders)
• Noise (Kennaway v Thompson, Tetley v Chitty)
• Physical damage (St Helens Smelting Co v Tipping, Crown River Cruises v Kimbolton Fireworks, Malone v Larkey)
• Fumes (St Helens Smelting Co v Tipping)
• Encroachment of trees/plants
• Flooding (Sedleigh Denfield v O’Callahan)
• Balls (Miller v Jackson)
• NOT lost signal (Hunter v Canary Wharf)

Question 4

What are the elements of private nuisance

Answer 4

1 - Nuisance
2 - Unreasonable
3 - Foreseeable

Question 5

Element 1

Answer 5

Nuisance
- Caused property damage
OR
- Continued indirect nuisance interfering with C’s use/quiet enjoyment of land
- Not cover personal injury

Question 6

Element 2

Answer 6

Unreasonable
- Locality = type of area (Sturges v Bridgeman, St Helens Smelting Co v Tipping)
-> Belgrave square and Bermondsey
- Duration (Crown River Cruises v Kimbolton Fireworks)
- Sensitivity = only nuisance if would cause damage without special sensitivity (Robinson v Kilvert, McKinnon v Walker)
- Malice (Christie v Davey, Hollywood Silver Fox Farm)
- Degree of interference
- Public utility/social benefit (Miller v Jackson)

Question 7

Element 3

Answer 7

Foreseeability
- Type and extent of damage must be reasonably foreseeable (Wagon Mound, Cambridge Waterworks Co v Eastern Country Leathers)

Question 8

Remedies

Answer 8

• Injunction (Coventry v Lawrence)
• Damages (Miller v Jackson)
• Partial injunction (Kennaway v Thompson)
• Abatement

Question 9

Defences

Answer 9

• Prescription = >20 years without complaint (Sturges v Bridgeman)
• Statutory authority (Allan v Gulf Oil)
• Act of God (Nicholls v Marland)
• Ordinary use of land (not exceptional)