Delay in pilot scheme to transfer unopposed commercial lease renewals from Central London County Court to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) (FTT)

There has been a delay in the implementation of this innovative new pilot scheme, which is now due to run for a year from early 2018, although no official date has been set.

When the pilot scheme comes into force it is intended to provide a fast track lease renewal process, taking just 20 weeks from the issue of proceedings to a final hearing. There will be little scope to agree to extensions of time, which will only be allowed for a PACT referral or mediation, and it is proposed that there should only be one round of tenant’s amendments to the draft lease. Expert evidence will therefore be required much earlier in the process.

It is anticipated that as a result the parties are more likely to agree to extend the timetable prior to the issue of proceedings.

It remains to be seen whether the shorter timetable will make proceeding with the FTT a more attractive option than proceeding with a PACT determination, or whether the result is that more cases are sent to PACT.

To see our previous blog on this topic please click here.

For further information regarding this topic or any other property litigation matter, please contact Joanna Osborne – Head of Property Litigation, or any member of the Edwin Coe Property Litigation team.

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