Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993

91 Jurisdiction of leasehold valuation tribunals

(1) Any jurisdiction expressed to be conferred on a leasehold valuation tribunal by the provisions of this Part (except section 75 or 88) shall be exercised by a rent assessment committee constituted for the purposes of this section; and any question arising in relation to any of the matters specified in subsection (2) shall, in default of agreement, be determined by such a rent assessment committee.

(2) Those matters are—

(a) the terms of acquisition relating to—

(i) any interest which is to be acquired by a nominee purchaser in pursuance of Chapter I, or

(ii) any new lease which is to be granted to a tenant in pursuance of Chapter II,

including in particular any matter which needs to be determined for the purposes of any provision of Schedule 6 or 13;

(b) the terms of any lease which is to be granted in accordance with section 36 and Schedule 9;

(c) the amount of any payment falling to be made by virtue of section 18(2);

(d) the amount of any costs payable by any person or persons by virtue of any provision of Chapter I or II and, in the case of costs to which section 33(1) or 60(1) applies, the liability of any person or persons by virtue of any such provision to pay any such costs; and

(e) the apportionment between two or more persons of any amount (whether of costs or otherwise) payable by virtue of any such provision.

(3) A rent assessment committee shall, when constituted for the purposes of this section, be known as a leasehold valuation tribunal; and in the following provisions of this section references to a leasehold valuation tribunal are (unless the context otherwise requires) references to such a committee.

(4) Where in any proceedings before a court there falls for determination any question falling within the jurisdiction of a leasehold valuation tribunal by virtue of Chapter I or II or this section, the court—

(a) shall by order transfer to such a tribunal so much of the proceedings as relate to the determination of that question; and

(b) may then dispose of all or any remaining proceedings, or adjourn the disposal of all or any such proceedings pending the determination of that question by the tribunal, as it thinks fit;

and accordingly once that question has been so determined the court shall, if it is a question relating to any matter falling to be determined by the court, give effect to the determination in an order of the court.

(5) Without prejudice to the generality of any other statutory provision—

(a) the power to make regulations under section 74(1)(b) of the [1977 c. 42.] Rent Act 1977 (procedure of rent assessment committees) shall extend to prescribing the procedure to be followed consequent on a transfer under subsection (4) above; and

(b) rules of court may prescribe the procedure to be followed in connection with such a transfer.

(6) Any application made to a leasehold valuation tribunal under or by virtue of this Part must comply with such requirements (if any) as to the form of, or the particulars to be contained in, any such application as the Secretary of State may by regulations prescribe.

(7) In any proceedings before a leasehold valuation tribunal which relate to any claim made under Chapter I, the interests of the participating tenants shall be represented by the nominee purchaser, and accordingly the parties to any such proceedings shall not include those tenants.

(8) No costs which a party to any proceedings under or by virtue of this Part before a leasehold valuation tribunal incurs in connection with the proceedings shall be recoverable by order of any court (whether in consequence of a transfer under subsection (4) or otherwise).

(9) A leasehold valuation tribunal may, when determining the property in which any interest is to be acquired in pursuance of a notice under section 13 or 42, specify in its determination property which is less extensive than that specified in that notice.

(10) Paragraphs 1 to 3 and 7 of Schedule 22 to the [1980 c. 51.] Housing Act 1980 (provisions relating to leasehold valuation tribunals constituted for the purposes of Part I of the [1967 c. 88.] Leasehold Reform Act 1967) shall apply to a leasehold valuation tribunal constituted for the purposes of this section; but—

(a) in relation to any proceedings which relate to a claim made under Chapter I of this Part of this Act, paragraph 7 of that Schedule shall apply as if the nominee purchaser were included among the persons on whom a notice is authorised to be served under that paragraph; and

(b) in relation to any proceedings on an application for a scheme to be approved by a tribunal under section 70, paragraph 2(a) of that Schedule shall apply as if any person appearing before the tribunal in accordance with subsection (6) of that section were a party to the proceedings.

(11) In this section—

• “the nominee purchaser” and “the participating tenants” have the same meaning as in Chapter I;

• “the terms of acquisition” shall be construed in accordance with section 24(8) or section 48(7), as appropriate;

and the reference in subsection (10) to a leasehold valuation tribunal constituted for the purposes of Part I of the [1967 c. 88.] Leasehold Reform Act 1967 shall be construed in accordance with section 88(7) above.