377.This section sets out the powers of the High Court or a county court, as rules of court may provide, to intervene in the exercise of CRAR. The court’s power arises only where the following conditions are met: firstly, notice of enforcement has been served on the tenant; secondly, the tenant has made an application to the court to intervene; and thirdly, the court is satisfied that the circumstances meet the prescribed grounds for intervening.
378.The court then has two options available to it. It may make an order to set aside the notice of enforcement, which effectively cancels that notice and prevents the landlord from taking any further steps under CRAR in relation to that notice. This would occur, for example, if the court considered that the preconditions for exercising CRAR had not been met.
379.Alternatively, the court may suspend the use of CRAR, by making an order that no further steps may be taken in exercise of CRAR without further order by the court. This might occur, for example, if there is a genuine dispute about the amount of rent in arrears or the calculation of the net unpaid rent. In those circumstances, the court may suspend the use of CRAR until that dispute is resolved.