Consumer Focus Scotland’s series of consumer guides provide detailed information and advice on key Scottish-specific issues for consumers. You can order the paid-for guides and download the free ones here.
Common Repair, Common Sense: A short guide to the management of tenements in Scotland
Anyone who owns a home knows that they regularly need repair and maintenance. If you live in a tenement, a high-rise block, a four-in-a-block or even a block of flats over a commercial property, you will be liable for maintenance and repair of the property’s common parts like the roof, the close or the stair and the back green. This guide tells you how Scottish property law affects your rights and responsibilities as flat owners.
Download this as a PDF file by clicking here
Hard copies of the short guide can also be ordered. Please call 0141 226 5261 or email mail@consumerfocus-scotland.org.uk.
Common Repair Common Sense: A detailed guide to the management of tenements in Scotland
This longer, web-only version of Common Repair, Common Sense, goes into more detail than the short version and offers some further practical advice.
Download this as a PDF file by clicking here
Moving Home in Scotland: A Guide to Buying and Selling Your Home
Moving home is one of the most stressful and expensive events in everyday life. This practical guide explains the process of buying and selling in Scotland, outlining the various options open to you and explaining the factors to be considered at every stage.
This book helps you to consider whether to move in the first place, what you can afford, and what you should look for in terms of space, location and facilities. Each chapter describes in great detail everything from the legal process and mortgages to hiring a removal company and meeting new neighbours. This revised edition also includes important information regarding the Home Report that came into force in December 2008.
This book is available from TSO for £3.95 and can be ordered by clicking here.
Buying and Selling a Home in Scotland
Scotland has its own legal system and law governing the ownership of land and property. This guidance tells you about:
- the Home Report
- the legal processes of buying and selling a home
- what you can do if things go wrong
- where you can find further information
Buying and Selling a Home in Scotland
The Legal System of Scotland
This publication is a comprehensive guide to the Scottish legal system written in plain English for non-lawyers. It provides an overview of various aspects of the legal system such as: origins and sources of Scots law; the civil and criminal courts; tribunals; the personnel of the law; administration of the Scottish legal system; legal aid and protection of the public.
The book was originally published in 1997 and this fourth edition has been updated to take account of changes in the law and legal system since February 2004. These include changes to the structure of the criminal courts, increases in sheriff court limits and new complaints handling structures relating to solicitors and advocates. There is also a new chapter on alternative dispute resolution.
This book is available from TSO for £3.95 and can be ordered by clicking here.
A-Z of Scots Education Law – A Guide for Parents
This third edition is a new and updated version of the highly popular reference book, which offers parents an easy-to-use reference guide to the law on all aspects of children’s education in Scotland. Covering the key pieces of legislation, it is a valuable source of reference for parents, teachers and advisers in dealings with the educational system. It will help readers to understand and deal with the sorts of decisions, difficulties or problems they may be faced with throughout their child’s education.
76 different educational topics, all organised alphabetically, are covered in this A to Z. The guide aims to equip parents, young people and their advisers with the information they need to get the best out of the education system, whilst helping teachers and head-teachers to become familiar with the legal framework in which they work.
This book is available from TSO for £6.99 and can be ordered by clicking here.