1(1)Where a person (in this Schedule referred to as “the claimant”) gives notice of his desire to have the freehold or an extended lease of a house and premises under Part I of this Act, and does so in respect of a sub-tenancy (in this Schedule referred to as “the tenancy in possession”), then except as otherwise provided by this Schedule—E+W
(a)the rights and obligations of the landlord under Part I of this Act shall, so far as their interests are affected, be rights and obligations respectively of the estate owner in respect of the fee simple and of each of the persons in whom is vested a concurrent tenancy superior to the tenancy in possession (and references to the landlord shall apply accordingly); and
(b)the proceedings arising out of the notice, whether for resisting or giving effect to the claim to acquire the freehold or extended lease, shall be conducted, on behalf of all the persons referred to in (a) above, by and through that one of them who is identified by this Schedule as “the reversioner”.
(2)Where there is a tenancy reversionary on a tenancy in respect of which a person gives notice as aforesaid, then (except in so far as special provision is made for such a reversionary tenancy) this Schedule shall apply as if the reversionary tenancy were a concurrent tenancy intermediate between the tenancy in possession and any interest superior to it.
(3)In the following provisions of this Schedule the persons for whom the reversioner is by this paragraph authorised to act are referred to as “other landlords”; and in this Schedule references to superior interests mean the estate in fee simple and any tenancy superior (or treated by sub-paragraph (2) above as superior) to the inferior interest in question.
2E+WSubject to paragraph 3 below, “the reversioner” shall be—
(a)if any person has a tenancy of the house carrying an expectation of possession of thirty years or more, that person or, if there is more than one, that one of them to whose tenancy the other tenancies are superior;
(b)if there is no such tenancy, the estate owner in respect of the fee simple of the house.
3(1)If it appears to the court, on an application made by any of the persons having an interest superior to the tenancy in possession,—E+W
(a)that the respective interests of those persons, the absence or incapacity of the person designated by paragraph 2 above or other special circumstances require that one of the other landlords should act as the reversioner instead of that person; or
(b)that the person so designated is unwilling to act as the reversioner, and that one of the other landlords could appropriately replace him and is willing to do so; or
(c)that by reason of complications in the title paragraph 2 above is inapplicable;
the court may, on such terms and conditions as it thinks fit, appoint such person as it thinks fit to be the reversioner.
(2)The court may also, on the application of any of the other landlords or of the claimant, remove the reversioner and appoint another person in his place, if it appears to the court proper to do so by reason of any delay or default, actual or apprehended, on the part of the reversioner.
4(1)Without prejudice to the generality of paragraph 1 above, the reversioner may on behalf and in the name of the other landlords—E+W
(a)execute any conveyance to give effect to section 8 of this Act, or any lease to give effect to section 14; and
(b)take or defend any legal proceedings under Part I of this Act in respect of matters arising out of the claimant’s notice.
(2)Subject to paragraphs 5 and 6 below, in relation to all matters within the authority given to him by this Schedule the reversioner’s acts shall be binding on the other landlords and on their interests in the house and premises or any other property; but in the event of dispute either the reversioner or any of the other landlords may apply to the court for directions as to the manner in which he should act on the matter in dispute.
(3)If any of the other landlords cannot be found, or his identity cannot be ascertained, the reversioner shall apply to the court for directions, and the court may make such order in the matter as it thinks proper with a view to giving effect to the rights of the claimant and protecting the interests of other persons; but subject to the directions of the court—
(a)the reversioner shall proceed as in other cases;
(b)a conveyance or lease executed by the reversioner on behalf of that landlord by such description as will identify the interest intended to be conveyed or bound shall be of the same effect as if executed in his name;
(c)if the freehold is to be conveyed to the claimant, any sum paid as the price for that landlord’s interest shall be paid into court.
(4)The reversioner, if he acts in good faith and with reasonable care and diligence, shall not be liable to any of the other landlords for any loss or damage caused by any act or omission in the exercise or intended exercise of the authority given to him by this Schedule.
5(1)Notwithstanding anything in paragraph 4(2) above, any of the other landlords shall be entitled, if he so desires, to be separately represented in any legal proceedings in which his title to any property comes in question, or in any legal proceedings relating to the price payable for the house and premises under section 9 of this Act.E+W
(2)For the purpose of deducing, evidencing or verifying his title to any property, any of the other landlords, on given written notice to the reversioner and to the claimant, may deal directly with the claimant, if he objects to disclosing his title to the reversioner, and he shall deal directly with the claimant if the claimant by written notice given to him and to the reversioner so requires.
(3)For the purpose of agreeing the price payable for his interest under section 9 of this Act, any of the other landlords, on giving written notice to the reversioner and to the claimant, may deal directly with the claimant; and whether he does that or not, he may require the reversioner to apply to [F1a leasehold valuation tribunal] for the price to be determined by [F1a leasehold valuation tribunal].
(4)Any of the other landlords shall be entitled to require that the price payable for his interest (or so much of it as is payable to him) shall be paid by the claimant to him or to a person authorised by him to receive it, instead of to the reversioner; but if, after being given proper notice of the time and place fixed for completion with the claimant, neither he nor a person so authorised attends to receive payment, and he has not made, and notified the reversioner of, other arrangements with the claimant to receive payment, the reversioner shall be authorised to receive it for him and the reversioner’s written receipt for the amount payable shall be a complete discharge to the claimant.
(5)It shall be the duty of each of the other landlords—
(a)subject to sub-paragraphs (2) and (3) above, to give the reversioner all such information and assistance as he may reasonably require; and
(b)after being given proper notice of the time and place fixed for completion with the claimant (if the claimant is acquiring the freehold), to ensure that all deeds and other documents that ought on his part to be delivered to the claimant on completion are available for the purpose, including in the case of registered land the land certificate any other documents necessary to perfect the claimant’s title;
and, if any of the other landlords fails to do so, he shall indemnify the reversioner against any liability incurred by the reversioner in consequence of the failure.
(6)Each of the other landlords shall make such contribution as may be just to the costs and expenses incurred by the reversioner and not recoverable or not recovered from the claimant.
Textual Amendments
F1Words substituted by Housing Act 1980 (c. 51), Sch. 22 para. 10
6(1)The authority given by this Schedule to the reversioner shall not extend to the bringing of proceedings under section 17 or 18 of this Act on behalf of any of the other landlords, or preclude any of the other landlords from bringing proceedings under that section on his own behalf; and (without prejudice to the operation of paragraph 1(2) above) a person entitled to a tenancy reversionary on the tenancy in possession may make an application under section 17 (by virtue of subsection (4)) or section 18 as a landlord.E+W
(2)Sections 29 and 30 of this Act shall apply, and apply only, where the authority entitled to require the covenant under the section is the estate owner in respect of the fee simple and there is no tenancy carrying an expectation of possession of thirty years or more.
(3)For purposes of section 3(6) of this Act separate tenancies shall be deemed to be tenancies with the same landlord if the immediate landlord is the same.