The Transfer of Tribunal Functions Order 2013

Housing Act 2004

176.  After section 231 (appeals from residential property tribunals) insert—

“First-tier Tribunal and Upper Tribunal

Additional Powers of First-tier Tribunal and Upper Tribunal

231A.— (1) The First-tier Tribunal and Upper Tribunal exercising any jurisdiction conferred by or under the Mobile Homes Act 1983, the Housing Act 1985 or this Act has, in addition to any specific powers exercisable by them in exercising that jurisdiction, the general power mentioned in subsection (2).

(2) The tribunal’s general power is a power to give such directions as the tribunal considers necessary or desirable for securing the just, expeditious and economical disposal of the proceedings or any issue in or in connection with them.

(3) When exercising jurisdiction under this Act, the directions which may be given by the tribunal under its general power include (where appropriate)—

(a) directions requiring a licence to be granted under Part 2 or 3 of this Act;

(b) directions requiring any licence so granted to contain such terms as are specified in the directions;

(c) directions requiring any order made under Part 4 of this Act to contain such terms as are so specified;

(d) directions that any building or part of a building so specified is to be treated as if an HMO declaration had been served in respect of it on such date as is so specified (and such a direction is to be an excluded decision for the purposes of section 11(1) and 13(1) of the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007);

(e) directions requiring the payment of money by one party to the proceedings to another by way of compensation, damages or otherwise.

(4) When exercising jurisdiction under the Mobile Homes Act 1983, the directions which may be given by the tribunal under its general power include (where appropriate)—

(a) directions requiring the payment of money by one party to the proceedings to another by way of compensation, damages or otherwise;

(b) directions requiring the arrears of pitch fees or the recovery of overpayments of pitch fees to be paid in such manner and by such date as may be specified in the directions;

(c) directions requiring cleaning, repairs, restoration, re-positioning or other works to be carried out in connection with a mobile home, pitch or protected site in such manner as may be specified in the directions;

(d) directions requiring the establishment, provision or maintenance of any service or amenity in connection with a mobile home, pitch or protected site in such manner as may be specified in the directions.

(5) In subsection (4)—

“mobile home” and “protected site” have the same meaning as in the Mobile Homes Act 1983 (see section 5 of that Act);

“pitch” has the meaning given by paragraph 1(4) of Chapter 1 of Part 1 of Schedule 1 to that Act(1);

“pitch fee” has the meaning given in paragraph 29 of Chapter 2, paragraph 13 of Chapter 3, or paragraph 27 of Chapter 4, of Part 1 of Schedule 1 to that Act, as the case may be.

Transfer from court to First-tier Tribunal

231B.— (1) Where, in any proceedings before a court, there falls for determination a question which the First-tier Tribunal or the Upper Tribunal would have jurisdiction to determine on an appeal or application to the tribunal in connection with the Mobile Homes Act 1983, the Housing Act 1985 or this Act, the court—

(a) may by order transfer to the First-tier Tribunal so much of the proceedings as relate to the determination of that question;

(b) may then dispose of all or any remaining proceedings pending the determination of that question by the First-tier Tribunal or the Upper Tribunal, as it thinks fit.

(2) Where the First-tier Tribunal or the Upper Tribunal has determined the question, the court may give effect to the determination in an order of the court.

(3) Rules of court may prescribe the procedure to be followed in a court in connection with or in consequence of a transfer under this section

(4) Nothing in this Act or in the Mobile Homes Act 1983 affects any power of a court to make an order that could be made by the tribunal (such as an order quashing a licence granted or order made by a local housing authority) in a case where—

(a) the court has not made a transfer under this paragraph, and

(b) the order is made by the court in connection with disposing of any proceedings before it.

Appeals from the First-tier Tribunal

231C.— (1) A person aggrieved by a decision of the First-tier Tribunal made under or in connection with—

(a) the Mobile Homes Act 1983,

(b) the Housing Act 1985 (other than one made under paragraph 11 of Schedule 5 to that Act), or

(c) this Act,

may appeal to the Upper Tribunal.

(2) An appeal may not be brought under subsection (1) in relation to a decision on a point of law (as to which see instead section 11 of the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007 (right of appeal to Upper Tribunal)).

(3) An appeal may not be brought under subsection (1) if the decision is set aside under section 9 of the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007 (review of decision of First-tier Tribunal).

(4) An appeal may be brought under subsection (1) only if, on an application made by the person concerned, the First-tier Tribunal or Upper Tribunal has given its permission for the appeal to be brought.

(5) In any case where the Upper Tribunal is determining an appeal under subsection (1), section 12(2) to (4) of the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007 (proceedings on appeal to the Upper Tribunal) apply.

Enforcement

231D.   Any decision of the First-tier Tribunal or Upper Tribunal under or in connection with the Mobile Homes Act 1983, the Housing Act 1985 or this Act, other than a decision ordering the payment of a sum (as to which see section 27 (enforcement) of the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007), is to be enforceable with the permission of a county court in the same way as orders of such a court.”

(1)

Schedule 1 to the Mobile Homes Act 1983 has been substantially amended in relation to England and Wales, by sections 206 to 208 of the Housing Act 2004 (c. 34). It has also been amended by the Mobile Homes Act 1983 (Amendment of Schedule 1 and Consequential Amendments) (England) Order 2011 (S.I. 2011/1003) and the Mobile Homes Act 1983 (Jurisdiction of Residential Property Tribunals) (England) Order 2011 (S.I. 2011/1005). There have been other amendments to that Schedule which are not relevant for the purposes of this Order.