“When it hasn’t been your day, your week, your month or even your year”
(The Rembrandts – I’ll Be There for You)
This is likely to be prophetic words for those who own property, whether residential or commercial, as there are anticipated delays in settling disputes in the property sector of up to 18 months; 2021 may be the year of evictions!
Many existing disputes have yet to be resolved due to a lack of Court time being available and with the current low staffing levels at Courts in line with the Coronavirus restrictions, new cases are taking longer to be issued. Combine this with the new rules on notices to leave requiring extra time, new cases that would have gone into the Court system either by now or shortly will have to wait until the Courts return to normal service before they are likely to be able to be processed or heard.
What does this mean? Realistically, the options for landlords to remove tenants through the Courts is not denied to them, but will carry with them an extended period of time before resolution; accordingly you may wish to look at the other methods of removal such as through the use of break clauses or even alternative dispute resolution (usually mediation or arbitration). The costs of these services vary and the results of the same vary but it may prove to be beneficial to many property owners in the long run.
At Burtons we have spoken to many landlords about the current situation and have been able to give them several options to resolve their matter. We are able to provide advice and assistance on recognised formal legal processes of removal through to informal methods that bypass the Courts (still legal) and involve the co-operation of all parties. If you would like to know more, please contact our Landlord & Tenant team on 01892 824 577 or on pembury@burtons-solicitors.com.
