Another method for implementation of order of possession is requesting possession warrant from the county court and then the landlord in Lincolnshire will be able to apply for the order to move in high court where it can be implemented by enforcement officer of the high court (HCEO).
Sheriffs, enforcement agents or certified bailiffs are different terms used for HCEOs in Lincolnshire.
The high court has the authority to impose the order of possession in Lincoln, Boston, or Grantham if:
The hearing was held at the High Court in Lincolnshire, this is unusual because if a landlord in Lincolnshire applies in the High Court for a possession order, it will be transferred to the county court unless there are exceptional circumstances, such as complicated factual disputes or significant legal issues.
When the Lincolnshire landlord applies to the county court seeking to transfer the possession order to the High Court for onward enforcement by the High Court Enforcement Officer (HCEO).
It is at the discretion of the county court judge to approve the transfer of enforcement in Boston, Lincoln, or Grantham to the High Court or not.
A request of transferring the possession order to the High Court can be made to County Court during the procession order proceedings by the Lincolnshire landlord.
After the possession order is acquired the landlord in Lincolnshire will need to apply to the county court and request that the order to be moved to the high court for implementation.
The landlord cannot apply for high court transfer in case of any outstanding application such as if the appeal against the possession order is filed by the tenant in Lincolnshire.
The landlord can also apply for a writ of control if they need to recover the rent arrears and court costs of more than £600 in Lincoln, Boston, or Grantham.
With a writ of control, the tenant's goods can be seized and sold in Lincolnshire, this is otherwise known as the writ of fi fa or writ of fiery facias.
The debt cannot be transferred to the High Court for Enforcement if it's regulated by the Consumer Credit Act 1974 as CCA regulated agreements in Lincolnshire can only be enforced by the County Court.
The reasons that may lead to a landlord in Lincolnshire asking for a transfer of the order to the High Court for enforcement include that:
Enforcement in Lincolnshire through the County Court bailiffs is slower than through the HCEOs
Loss of rental income triggered by enforcement delay of the bailiffs of the county court in Lincolnshire
Prevention of more damage to the property and/or behaviour that is not social in Lincolnshire
The HCEO can enforce a possession order as well as seize the goods in Lincolnshire when money is due
From the time of transfer, interest at a rate of 8% will be added to the judgement debt.
Not only is it more expensive to use a HCEO, eviction in Lincolnshire is also faster with HCEOs as compared to county court bailiffs in Lincolnshire, tenants may counter an application for a transfer to the High Court for enforcement.
These reasons include:
The landlord is yet to prove that there may delays if the case is handled by a county court's bailiffs in Lincolnshire
The prices are excessive and/or disproportionate
The period of delay before eviction affords the tenant the opportunity to find another place to live in Lincoln, Boston, or Grantham
Often, the Lincolnshire court will take into consideration some circumstances surrounding the tenant's situation, such as if there are any children involved or whether the tenant has good rent arrears.
In case the county court in Lincolnshire allows the owner to move the order to the high court, the owner may require obtaining consent from high court before serving the possession writ except during:
The landlord may not need permission for the issue of a writ of possession in case of the possession order breach, and it is also not required in case of a possession order that is suspended where the breach is in money non-payment in Lincolnshire.
When permission is sought in the High Court to enforce a possession order (i.e. except in actions against trespassers and cases of mortgage repossession), the property owner in Boston, Grantham, or Lincoln is to give notice of the application to 'every person in actual possession' of the property.
The landlord must also give sufficient notice to the Lincolnshire tenants to ensure they are aware of the transfer of the possession order to the High Court.
There are no specific instructions about what constitutes acceptable notice in Lincolnshire.
However, it should be according to the facts of the case.
If there is just one tenant in the Lincolnshire property, who is already aware of the case being transferred, then a simple reminder by the landlord of the guidelines from the court order and a demand that the property is to be given up is more than enough.
Failure to give adequate notice or failure to provide the Court with full information on pending appeals or applications against the proceedings of possession may result in the writ of possession being set aside even after it has been executed in Lincolnshire.
Some HCEOs in Lincolnshire had tried skipping the right procedure by applying directly to the High Court to take over the matter under section 41 of the County Court Act 1984, or by applying form N293A clumsily such against tenants rather than trespassers.
The Senior Master of the High Court (Queens Bench Division) gave out a practice not on the 21st March 2016 to stop the carelessness.
Generally, possession order enforcement in Lincolnshire is quicker via HCEO as opposed to county court bailiffs.
An execution of a writ of possession by a High Court Enforcement Officers may occur just few days once the landlord's application to the High Court is expired or of the issue of the writ of possession in Boston, Grantham, or Lincoln.
An HCEO is not compelled to inform tenants in Lincolnshire before making a trip in order to implement the possession writ as no such provision is provided, but, in some cases, you may find some HCEOs sending the summons a day or 2 before a visit to the property.
However, the HCEO needs to give a seven days' notice to the tenant where they need to seize goods and money while recovering possession of the property in Lincolnshire.
High court in Lincolnshire enjoys the powers to set aside or uphold possession or control writ.
Applications can be made by filling out the N244 form while giving application to high court.
If stay or set aside is given, then it's important for the tenant in Lincolnshire to inform the HCEO themselves of these details because the High Court may not have provided them with the information.
Otherwise, other applications, including setting aside the original possession order must be made to the Lincolnshire county court.
HCEOs in Lincolnshire are High Court-approved private companies and not court workers.
You can research for the list of the Directory of High Court Enforcement Officers, for the enforcement officers in England and Wales who have the approval to implement High Court writs.
The HCEOs cannot carry out the evictions if they aren't subscribed to a code of practice.
A writ of possession cannot be enforced on Christmas Day, Good Friday or Sundays in Lincolnshire unless the court says so.
Regulations govern the activities of HCEOs and all other bailiffs in Lincolnshire with effect from 6 April 2014.
The regulations have requirements that a HCEO must not:
Entering the residential premises in Lincolnshire after 9pm or before 6am, except ordered by the court
Entering a property in Lincolnshire if the occupant is a child younger than 16
Take key household goods such as washing machine, fridge or cooker
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