Why is the county court so slow?

Why is the county court so slow?

0:02 AM, 31st August 2023, About 8 months ago 17

Text Size

Hi All. I am the landlord of a property, I applied for a repossession order through the court as my tenant would not move out after eviction notice. The hearing was on 16th August, my  appearance was by video link (Tenant was a no show and did not send in the defence form either).

I was informed that the judge had issued an Order, but up to now I have not got it and I don’t know what is in it.

I called the court a week ago and was told it is still waiting to be typed up!

Two weeks have now gone by and there is still no Order and I cannot do anything, I am completely in the dark, and so, of course, is the tenant (I cannot see that the tenant will have seen the Order if I haven’t).

Meanwhile, the tenant is still in the flat. I can’t start proceeding for the bailiffs either because I don’t know what is in the judge’s Order.

I am too angry to call the court again, I might start shouting and that will not get me anywhere.

What should I do?

Marie


Share This Article


Comments

Robert Sled

10:33 AM, 31st August 2023, About 8 months ago

As a friend to call

LordOf TheManor

10:56 AM, 31st August 2023, About 8 months ago

There's an admin backlog & typing is done in the order of the hearing lists.

Ranting won't make any difference. You could ask someone to call for you to ask when you could expect to receive the order - at least you'd know then what timescale the court is working on.

I recently had to chase up a case with MCOL. They quoted a six week backlog & I did, eventually, get what I wanted - six weeks later.

RoseD

12:26 PM, 31st August 2023, About 8 months ago

Hi Marie
The court system is slow because it answers to no one. It's not just in landlord issues. There is a 10 month backlog in probate applications. For what reason...who knows and no point even stressing as to why. So frustrating.

GlanACC

13:26 PM, 31st August 2023, About 8 months ago

Well, they don't start till 10 and finish at 4, court office don't seem to answer any phones and you don't know if e-mails have been actioned.

Martin

14:18 PM, 31st August 2023, About 8 months ago

I have one going through at the moment.
The tenant hasn't paid or spoken to me since April.
Original court date was August 7th, which was my 30th wedding anniversary, cut a trip short only to be informed on the 5th that there was a lack of judicial capacity on that day.
New date is the 18th of September.
My frustration is it's a mandatory hearing and the judge has no choice but to award possession.
I am actually wondering if there is there is the ability to actually sue the county court for the additional losses I have incurred while they have failed to carry out their job.
Had the tenant been evicted earlier my losses would be less. I have done nothing wrong and have followed the system, yet it is me that loses out.

Markella Mikkelsen

14:59 PM, 31st August 2023, About 8 months ago

What is worrying is that these are the waiting times BEFORE the Renters Reform Bill kicks in.
At least now - in theory - most S21 evictions go through without a hearing.
What will happen when S21 is abolished and every case has to go through the S8 route, which requires a hearing for every case?
The NRLA should be collecting data on current court waiting times and use it as evidence to demonstrate that the courts are not able to deal with the added pressure of more S8 cases. Without a review/simplifivcation of the current legal system, how can S21 be abolished?
Making the courts liable to compensate landlords for the losses they are incurring will never be approved, because it's taxpayers money.

Blodwyn

18:29 PM, 31st August 2023, About 8 months ago

I stopped doing County Court work about 10 years ago but I suspect the problems are as they have been and getting worse over the last 20+ years. Lack of funding from HM Treasury, artificial budget restraints to start with, add in a demoralised workforce who are only told to work harder for less etc. Add again a preference of governments of all political colours to spend money on things 'sexy' to gather favours such as future votes (yes, the grubby political hand again!). rather than do something really USEFUL that would be unnoticed but would WORK!!
Yes, it will cost taxp[ayers' money to make it work as designed.
No, you will never stop governments' waste on things of no practical use whatever - such as the bottomless pit that is HS2. By the time that is running (if ever) most known human life will have made it redundant. But nobody has the political guts to stop this mindless diversion of funds that could make so much else work properly, dare one suggest simply reversing some of Beeching's vandalism that has contributed so much to air-poisoning traffic?

HB

6:05 AM, 2nd September 2023, About 8 months ago

Did they inform you in whos favour the decision / Order was made at the hearing ?

Its taking 4 - 6 weeks to write and issue the order. That has been the same for last 2/3 years.

Call the court to confirm the status of the case and the decision made at the hearing.

You will have to just wait to receive the order, its taking a long time sadly.

Hamish McBloggs

9:54 AM, 2nd September 2023, About 8 months ago

Accelerated process - a joke
Open loop communication - a joke

Typing - !!!

Modernise it, properly digitise standard court fodder and staff it properly.

Make people responsible for the poor performance.

RoseD

10:37 AM, 2nd September 2023, About 8 months ago

Reply to the comment left by Hamish McBloggs at 02/09/2023 - 09:54
Agree entirely Hamish with all you've said. However the issue is the Court System answers to no one who will doing anything to improve. Just like Drs who have been told to see patients face fo face. Is that happening? With great difficulty for most. Let's face it....everything is struggling along!

1 2

Leave Comments

In order to post comments you will need to Sign In or Sign Up for a FREE Membership

or

Don't have an account? Sign Up

Landlord Tax Planning Book Now