How do I actually make the landlord follow the tribunal's decision about my mobile home?

The situation

I live in a small park in Essex, England, in a mobile home that I own. Back in February 2024, I had a massive dispute with the site owner because they were trying to restrict my access to the communal washing facilities without any proper notice. I finally took them to the housing tribunal, and after months of waiting, I received a formal decision on 14th May 2024. The tribunal ruled in my favour, stating that the site owner must allow me full access to the laundry block as per my agreement. However, it has now been over six weeks since that decision was handed down, and the site manager is completely ignoring it. They are still telling me I can't use the machines unless I pay an extra fee, which wasn't part of the ruling. I have sent three polite emails and even tried speaking to them in person at the site office last Tuesday, but they just brushed me off. I have the official paperwork from the tribunal sitting right here on my kitchen table, but I don't know what the next step is to force them to obey. Do I have to start a whole new court case from scratch to get them to comply, or is there a way to use that tribunal decision to make them do what they were told?

Detailed Analysis

You do not have to start a whole new court case from scratch to address the site owner's refusal to follow the ruling from 14th May 2024. Because your dispute involves the Mobile Homes Act 1983, your tribunal decision has specific enforcement powers.

Under the law, your decision is "is to be enforceable with the permission of a county court in the same way as orders of such a court"^[1]. This means that once you get permission from a county court, the decision carries the same weight as if a judge in that court had issued the order themselves. This is the primary way to force the site manager to stop demanding extra fees and restore your access to the laundry block.

It is important to note that if the site owner disagrees with the legal reasoning of the decision, they might try to appeal. A person who feels wronged by a decision "may appeal to the Upper Tribunal"^[2]. However, an appeal is generally for points of law rather than just being unhappy with the outcome. If they have not filed an appeal, the decision stands.

One thing that remains uncertain is whether the site owner has already filed an appeal under section 231C, which could pause the enforcement process. You should check if any such appeal has been lodged before proceeding with the county court.

Local council rules or specific terms in your site agreement may also provide additional ways to handle site management disputes.

Statutory Citations

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