Very late in the day it was decided to extend the stay!

On 11 June 2020, we reported here that the stay imposed on all residential possession action, except for claims aginst persons unknown trespassing, which  came into force on 27 March 2020 had been extended until 23 August 2020.

On 23 July 2020, we reported here that a new practice direction had been introduced to set out the procedures to be taken to reactivate claims post 23 August.

All systems appeared to be go for the reactivation of claims, until 20 August when the Lord Chancellor directed the Civil Procedure Rules Committee to extend the stay.

As a result part 55 of the Civil Procedure Rules has been amended again and the amended CPR r. 55.29 can be seen here and the very short amendment extends the stay until 20 September 2020. 

So back as you were!

In the meantime, the government has also announced that the notice period, which was extended by The Coronavirus Act 2020 to 3 months' notice for all notices seeking possession (see our report here) will be amended again so that 6 months' notice will be required "in all bar those cases raising other serious issues such as those involving anti-social behaviour and domestic abuse perpetrators, until at least the end of March [2021].”