Last year the government consulted on the introduction of fees for tribunal matters relating to enfranchisement and members of the firm were involved in these discussions. The proposed fees have been reduced from the suggested level of £2000 per case to a more manageable £100 on making the application and £200 when the case is listed for hearing.

Previously there were no court fees associated with making a tribunal application.

Whilst HMCTS needs to recover the costs of its operations in part from its users, we were keen to see that the fees were set at a level that did not deter applicants and so whilst applicants may not relish the prospect of paying fees, the new arrangements are much better than  they might have been – although this is not the end of the story as it is quite possible that the fees may be revised again in the future to reflect the value of the subject of the case.

The new fees will come into effect soon, and details of the relevant Statutory Instrument appear here:

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukdsi/2016/9780111147221/contents

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukdsi/2016/9780111147221/schedule

The landlord and tenant team have been prepared for these changes and Mark Chick and other members of the team were involved in making representations on them through their involvement in the consultation.

If you have a query concerning an enfranchisement or tribunal matter and would like to get in contact with us then please email leasehold@bishopandsewell.co.uk

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.