Possession Proceedings: Where are they now? – Tanfield Chambers

‘When the stay on possession proceedings first came into force on 27 March 2020, it appeared to be a straight-forward (albeit blunt) tool to help the Courts manage the effects of the Coronavirus.’

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Tanfield Chambers, 5th October 2020

Source: www.tanfieldchambers.co.uk

Green light for Mortgage Repossessions? – No. 5 Chambers

‘On 31 October 2020, the ban on repossession proceedings comes to an end. Approximately 1.8 million people have taken a deferral on a mortgage, and the second period of deferral is now coming to an end. Lenders may commence or continue with possession proceedings if appropriate.’

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No. 5 Chambers, 13th October 2020

Source: www.no5.com

High Court upholds refusal by judge to admit witness statement from council officer in eviction proceedings brought by housing association – Local Government Lawyer

Posted October 15th, 2020 in admissibility, appeals, evidence, housing, landlord & tenant, news, repossession, witnesses by sally

‘The High Court has dismissed an application to overturn a judge’s refusal to allow tenants to rely on a witness statement from a council officer in eviction proceedings brought by a housing association.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 15th October 2020

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Eviction and contempt – Nearly Legal

Posted September 25th, 2020 in appeals, debts, landlord & tenant, news, rent, repossession, stay of proceedings, undertakings by sally

‘This is a somewhat unusual appeal in the context of possession proceedings, being an appeal against a 12 month committal of the tenant to prison on two counts of contempt of court.’

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Nearly Legal, 21st September 2020

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

Master of the Rolls issues statement on resumption of possession cases – Local Government Lawyer

Posted September 23rd, 2020 in coronavirus, debts, housing, judges, landlord & tenant, news, rent, repossession, time limits by sally

‘The Master of the Rolls, Sir Terence Etherton, has published a statement on the resumption of possession cases from 20 September.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 21st September 2020

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Renters: Eviction cases resume after six-month ban – BBC News

Posted September 21st, 2020 in coronavirus, debts, delay, domestic violence, housing, landlord & tenant, news, rent, repossession by sally

‘Eviction hearings will now resume in courts in England and Wales – but the most serious cases will be given priority.’

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BBC News, 21st September 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Possession claims – More new things and yet more to come – Nearly Legal

‘Gov.uk now has a “Reactivation Notice” (one for claimants, one for defendants). Note this is not a statutory or prescribed form. There is no set format for a reactivation notice.
The page says “Please do not use these documents before 20 September 2020. There is no need to rush to reactivate – you have until 4pm on 24 January 2021.” Which is not necessarily the case. Any possession claim with a hearing already listed requires a reactivation notice to be filed and served at least 42 days before the hearing – Practice Direction 55C 2.5.’

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Nearly Legal, 15th September 2020

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

The Parable of the Property Developer – Nearly Legal

Posted September 7th, 2020 in damages, injunctions, landlord & tenant, news, repossession by sally

‘An unlawful eviction case, but not a residential one. A note because it is an interesting case of a badly behaved property developers, a church an a question over general damages.’

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Nearly Legal, 6th September 2020

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

Ban on evictions and notice periods extended in Government u-turn – St Ives Chambers

‘The stay imposed on possession proceedings was due to expire on Sunday 23 August 2020. However, in an 11th hour u-turn, Robert Jenrick announced on Friday afternoon that the ban on evictions would be extended for a further 4 weeks (taking the total ban to 6 months) in England and Wales. In a further, unforeseen twist, it was announced that a new 6 month notice period would be in place until at least 31 March 2021 (this applies to England only) in all matters save for “serious cases”, examples of which are anti-social behaviour and domestic abuse.’

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St Ives Chambers, 21st August 2020

Source: www.stiveschambers.co.uk

Croydon LBC v Kalonga [2020] EWHC 1353 (QB) – Tanfield Chambers

Posted August 27th, 2020 in forfeiture, housing, landlord & tenant, leases, news, repossession by sally

‘The “flexible tenancy” was the latest, and mercifully the last, in a long line of new “tenancies” created by Parliament to address perceived deficiencies within social housing. The flexible tenancy is a fixed term secure tenancy that is capable of determination at the end of its term by not becoming a secure periodic tenancy. Its purpose was to enable a greater churn of social housing and to ensure that such housing went to those tenants in greatest housing need. The flexible tenancy did not prove popular—there are said to be only 30,000 flexible tenancies in existence—and Parliament’s proposal to make such tenancies mandatory (under the Housing and Planning Act 2016) has never been brought into force.’

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Tanfield Chambers, 11th August 2020

Source: www.tanfieldchambers.co.uk

Eviction ban extended by four weeks – Local Government Lawyer

‘The ban on tenant evictions, which was set to expire on Monday 23rd August, has been extended for a further four weeks until 20th September.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 21st August 2020

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Councils warn of “cliff edge” with 500,000 people at risk of eviction once stay on proceedings is lifted – Local Government Lawyer

Posted August 21st, 2020 in coronavirus, debts, housing, landlord & tenant, local government, news, rent, repossession by sally

‘Councils have warned that hundreds of thousands of people could be at risk of eviction when the stay on possession proceedings introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic comes to an end on 23 August.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 21st August 2020

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

The position on possession – Hardwicke Chambers

‘Andrew Skelly considers the current restrictions on a landlord’s ability to recover possession, and the emergency measures set out in the Coronavirus Act 2020 that will continue to apply after the automatic stay on possession proceedings comes to an end on 23 August 2020.’

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Hardwicke Chambers, 12th August 2020

Source: hardwicke.co.uk

230,000 could lose homes as eviction ban ends in England and Wales – The Guardian

Posted August 19th, 2020 in coronavirus, debts, housing, landlord & tenant, news, rent, repossession, statistics by sally

‘A man whose partner died of coronavirus after they moved into their dream flat is among 230,000 people who face having to leave their homes when the government lifts its ban on evictions in England and Wales this weekend.’

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The Guardian, 19th August 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Rent arrears and RROs – Nearly Legal

Posted August 18th, 2020 in landlord & tenant, news, rent, repayment, repossession by sally

‘This is a First Tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) decision on an application for a Rent Repayment Order (RRO), which unusually deals with the issue of the tenant’s rent arrears.’

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Nearly Legal, 16th August 2020

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

Where to now? End of eviction ban leaves tenants fearing for future – The Guardian

‘Soon landlords will be able to take action against renters again, which many fear could lead to a rise in homelessness.’

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The Guardian, 9th August 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

“Stay” no more: the future for possession claims. Practice Direction 55C (and Christmas?) – Falcon Chambers

‘First it was CPR PD 51Z. Then CPR 55.29. Not to mention Arkin v Marshall [2020] EWCA Civ 620; Hackney LBC v Okoro [2020] EWCA Civ 681; TFS Stores Ltd v Designer Retail Outlet Centres (Mansfield) General Partner Ltd [2020] EWCA Civ 833. Has any other element of civil procedure law, not least one with a mere 5 month lifespan, ever received consideration no fewer than three times by the Court of Appeal? Such is the significance of the coronavirus-related general stay of possession claims.’

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Falcon Chambers, 20th July 2020

Source: www.falcon-chambers.com

Towards a New Normal? Possession Claims in the Brave New World – St Ives Chambers

Posted July 30th, 2020 in coronavirus, news, repossession, stay of proceedings by sally

‘The government has confirmed that the stay that has been in place on virtually all possession claims will not be the subject to a further extension.’

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St Ives Chambers, 20th July 2020

Source: www.stiveschambers.co.uk

The End is in Sight – but what then?- St Ives Chambers

‘The stay of possession proceedings (which started on 27 March 2020) comes to an end on 23 August 2020 and the courts and government have been working on plans how to resume possession cases after that date.’

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St Ives Chambers, 24th July 2020

Source: www.stiveschambers.co.uk

Reactivation! – Nearly Legal

‘After the mystery of the Rules laid last Friday, we now had the text of Practice Direction 55C, which will come into effect on 23 August 2020 at the end of the Part 55.29 stay of possession proceedings.’

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Nearly Legal, 21st July 2020

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk