B

Russell wanted to open a lunch bar in a shop located on the ground floor of a building owned by Greta. He entered into a lease with Greta; the agreement gave Russell exclusive possession of the shop for a period of two and a half years commencing 1 January 2019 and concluding on 30 June 2021.

In July 2019 Greta decided she wanted to undertake renovations to the building containing Russells shop. The work required the erection of scaffolding at the front of the shop that prevented customers from using the footpath outside. This had an adverse impact on passing trade. Russell was unhappy about this situation so he ceased making weekly deposits into Gretas account. Greta was angry about not receiving the income she desperately needed to help pay for the renovations so, on several occasions when Russell was busy serving customers she entered the shop and yelled abuse at him.

Russell now seeks your advice regarding his rights under the common law.