Agriculture (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976

20 Applications for tenancy of the holding

(1) Any eligible person may within the relevant period apply to the Tribunal for a direction entitling him to a tenancy of the holding.

(2) Where only one application is made under this section the Tribunal, if satisfied that the applicant is an eligible person, shall determine whether he is in their opinion a suitable person to become the tenant of the holding.

(3) Where two or more applications are made under this section, then, subject to subsection (4) below, subsection (2) above shall apply to each of the applicants as if he were the only applicant.

(4) If the applicants under this section include a person validly designated by the deceased in his will as the person he wished to succeed him as tenant of the holding, the Tribunal shall first make a determination under subsection (2) above as regards that person, and shall do so as regards the other applicant or each of the other applicants only if the Tribunal determine that the person so designated is not in their opinion a suitable person to become the tenant of the holding.

(5) If under the preceding provisions of this section only one applicant is determined by the Tribunal to be in their opinion a suitable person to become the tenant of the holding, the Tribunal shall, subject to section 22 of this Act, give a direction entitling him to a tenancy of the holding.

(6) If under the preceding provisions of this section each of two or more applicants is determined by the Tribunal to be in their opinion a suitable person to become the tenant of the holding, the Tribunal shall, subject to subsection (9) below, determine which of those applicants is in their opinion the more or most suitable person to become the tenant of the holding and shall, subject to section 22 of this Act, give a direction entitling that applicant to a tenancy of the holding.

(7) Before making a determination under subsection (2) above in the case of any applicant the Tribunal shall afford the landlord an opportunity of stating his views on the suitability of that applicant.

(8) In making a determination under subsection (2) above in the case of a particular applicant, or a determination under subsection (6) above as between two or more applicants, the Tribunal shall have regard to all relevant matters, including—

(a) the extent to which the applicant or each of those applicants has been trained in, or has had practical experience of, agriculture;

(b) the age, physical health and financial standing of the applicant or each of those applicants ; and

(c) the views (if any) stated by the landlord on the suitability of the applicant or any of those applicants.

(9) Where subsection (6) above would apply apart from this subsection, the Tribunal may, with the consent of the landlord, give instead a direction specifying any two, any three or any four of the applicants within that subsection, and entitling the specified applicants to a joint tenancy of the holding.

(10) In this section " will" includes codicil, and for the purposes of this section a person shall be taken to be validly designated by the deceased in his will as the person he wishes to succeed him as tenant of the holding if, but only if, a will of the deceased which is the subject of a grant of probate or administration either—

(a) contains an effective specific bequest to that person of the deceased's tenancy of the holding ; or

(b) does not contain an effective specific bequest of that tenancy, but does contain a statement specifically mentioning the holding or the deceased's tenancy thereof and exclusively designating that person (in whatever words, and whether by name or description) as the person whom the deceased wishes to succeed him as tenant of the holding.

(11) For the purposes of subsection (10) above a statement which is framed so as to designate as mentioned in paragraph (b) of that subsection different persons in different circumstances shall be taken to satisfy that paragraph if, in the events which have happened, the statement exclusively designates a particular person.

(12) A direction under this section given in favour of a person by reason of his being a person validly designated by the deceased as mentioned in subsection (4) above shall be valid even if the probate or administration by virtue of which he was such a person at the giving of the direction is subsequently revoked or varied.

(13) For the purposes of this Part of this Act an application under subsection (1) above which is withdrawn or abandoned shall be treated as if it had never been made.

(14) Provision shall be made by order under section 73(3) of the [1974 c. 48.] Agriculture Act 1947 (procedure of Agricultural Land Tribunals) for requiring any person making an application to such a tribunal under this or the following section to give notice of the application to the landlord of the agricultural holding to which the application relates and to take such steps as the order may require for bringing the application to the notice of other persons interested in the outcome of the application.