Matthew Cannings

I represent individuals and commercial clients in a wide range of property disputes.

My property practice encompasses real property (claims relating to areas of land and rights affecting land) and landlord and tenant disputes.  I provide my services acting in court, advising on disputes or potential court claims or drafting court documentation.

My real property work includes matters relating to:

• Disputes about boundaries (such as the location of walls and fences), often involving allegations of trespass and nuisance
• Claims to have acquired ownership of land by way of adverse possession
• Issues involving covenants affecting land
• Interference with easements (such as rights of way and rights of light)
• Claims to have acquired easements by way of prescription.

My landlord and tenant work includes claims about:

• Claims by residential landlords to recover possession of their rented properties
• Defences by residential tenants who believe that their landlords have not acted properly or not entitled to regain possession
• Forfeiture action (whether by re-entry or by issuing court proceedings) taken by commercial landlords, or defences to such claims by commercial tenants
• The renewal of commercial leases, by landlords or tenants.

Along with substantial trial experience, I have experience of interim remedy applications, including those required at very short notice where a party, often a commercial landlord or tenant, may be seeking to obtain an urgent court order very quickly.

Along with my court work, I work hard with my clients to utilise alternative dispute resolution options including, in particular, formal mediations and settlement meetings, and to avoid litigation progressing to determination at trial wherever possible. Given the nature of this work, I’m experienced in acting in matters against litigations in person (i.e. people who are not represented by lawyers).

In addition to my real property and landlord and tenant work, I have experience of acting for utility companies in relation to warrants of entry in residential, commercial and agricultural land under the Electricity Act 1989 and the Rights of Entry (Gas and Electricity Boards) Act 1989.