Writing in NLJ this week, Tricia Hemans and Daniel Black, barristers at Falcon Chambers, examine the online possession pilot for eligible social and community landlords in specified areas of England and Wales.
The scheme covers postcode areas served by Bradford, Huddersfield, Wandsworth and Caernarfon courts. Its separate procedural framework takes precedence over inconsistent Civil Procedure Rules.
Landlords must prepare evidence early: submitted claims cannot be changed without permission. Statements of truth, accurate service addresses and updated rent arrears evidence require attention.
Email alerts bring another practical risk: documents are deemed received when the email is sent.
The authors describe the regime as a ‘structural blueprint’ for wider digitisation. For now, practitioners must check eligibility, exclusions and postcodes carefully, while defendants proceeding offline face their own submission and receipt rules.
