Landlords win legal battle over Game

Game, the computer game retailer, will have to pay £3m to a collection of Britain’s landlords after it lost a landmark legal case about unpaid rent. The ruling by the Court of Appeal closes a legal loophole that meant companies could avoid paying rent for three months if administrators were appointed shortly after the quarterly rent day. The case came to court after a consortium of property companies including Hammerson, British Land and Land Securities claimed they missed out on millions of pounds in rent when Game called in administrators in March 2012. Hammerson said the judgement “provides a workable, common sense resolution” for future administrations. Duncan Grubb, head of credit control at Hammerson, said: “Corporate restructuring will now be focused purely on trading patterns and the viability of the ongoing business, rather than on rent free periods from landlords provided by a legal loophole.” The Daily Telegraph, Business, Page: 4 Financial Times, Page: 18 The Times, Page: 41 The Independent, Page: 54 Independent I, Page: 43 Yorkshire Post, Page: 3