Cases - Seventh Earl of Malmesbury v Strutt & Parker
Record details
- Name
- Seventh Earl of Malmesbury v Strutt & Parker
- Date
- [2008]
- Citation
- EWHC 424 (QB)
- Legislation
- Keywords
- Negligence in valuations and surveys
- Summary
-
The claimant landowner instructed the defendants to negotiate leases of parts of his land for the purpose of airport car parking. In holding that, in respect of the second and third leases, the defendants were negligent in failing to secure rents based partly on turnover, the judge ruled that the standard of professional skill and care to be expected was that of a major national firm having the competence to act in connection with the development of land adjacent to an airport. This would include the knowledge and expertise of the whole firm, not merely those members dealing with the claimant's property. Moreover, if the required expertise was not available in-house, the defendants would be expected to go outside for it.