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11 December 2008 / Betul Milliner , Ben Daniels
Issue: 7349 / Categories: Features , Commercial
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Disputed treasure

Ben Daniels & Betul Milliner on rare disputes concerning payment of debt by a third party

Disputes over payment of a debt by a third party are comparatively
rare. Creditors and debtors are normally united by a common interest to have an uncontested debt paid, regardless of the source of the funds.

However, in the recent case of Treasure & Son Ltd v Martin Dawes [2008] EWHC 2420 (TCC), [2007] All ER (D) 386 (Oct) such a dispute arose. Th e case revisits the law on third party payment of debts, and provides practical guidance on how to avoid similar disputes arising in the future.

The claimant, Treasure & Son (Treasure) had carried out extensive work on the defendant Martin Dawes’s home. Th e parties had subsequently fallen out and the dispute had been referred to an adjudicator who had found in favour of Treasure. As Mr Dawes did not pay the adjudicator’s award, Treasure issued enforcement proceedings and on 25 October 2007 the court ordered that Mr
Dawes should pay Treasure the judgment

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Bellevue Law—Lianne Craig

Bellevue Law—Lianne Craig

Workplace law firm expands commercial disputes team with senior consultant hire

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Banking and restructuring team bolstered by insolvency specialist

NEWS
A High Court ruling involving the Longleat estate has exposed the fault line between modern family building and historic trust drafting. Writing in NLJ this week, Charlotte Coyle, director and family law expert at Freeths, examines Cator v Thynn [2026] EWHC 209 (Ch), where trustees sought approval to modernise trusts that retain pre-1970 definitions of ‘child’, ‘grandchild’ and ‘issue’
Fresh proposals to criminalise ‘nudification’ apps, prioritise cyberflashing and non-consensual intimate images, and even ban under-16s from social media have reignited debate over whether the Online Safety Act 2023 (OSA 2023) is fit for purpose. Writing in NLJ this week, Alexander Brown, head of technology, media and telecommunications, and Alexandra Webster, managing associate, Simmons & Simmons, caution against reactive law-making that could undermine the Act’s ‘risk-based and outcomes-focused’ design
Recent allegations surrounding Peter Mandelson and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor have reignited scrutiny of the ancient common law offence of misconduct in public office. Writing in NLJ this week, Simon Parsons, teaching fellow at Bath Spa University, asks whether their conduct could clear a notoriously high legal hurdle
A landmark ruling has reshaped child clinical negligence claims. Writing in NLJ this week, Jodi Newton, head of birth and paediatric negligence at Osbornes Law, explains how the Supreme Court in CCC v Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust [2026] UKSC 5 has overturned Croke v Wiseman, ending the long-standing bar on children recovering ‘lost years’ earnings
A Court of Appeal ruling has drawn a firm line under party autonomy in arbitration. Writing in NLJ this week, Masood Ahmed, associate professor at the University of Leicester, analyses Gluck v Endzweig [2026] EWCA Civ 145, where a clause allowing arbitrators to amend an award ‘at any time’ was held incompatible with the Arbitration Act 1996
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