Residential possession: Internet scheme to manage cases

The government plans to extend on-line interactive claims services with a new pilot scheme to manage county court claims for possession of residential property following non-payment of rent or mortgage.


The Possession Claims Online (PCOL) project is similar to Money Claims Online, which was launched in 2002 and lets solicitors, consumers and small businesses issue claims to recover money over the Internet, but has additional features.


It will enable claimants, once registered and given a unique password and ID, to issue claims on the secure site using an Internet form or to exchange data with PCOL directly using a system-to-system interface.


It will also allow court fees to be paid by direct debit by accepted customers, as well as by credit or debit card. It will allocate hearing dates and determine the correct court of issue.


Defendants, advisers, judges and court staff will all be able to access claims information from the central PCOL database. The scheme is scheduled to be tested in six courts in October before being rolled out nationally in February 2006.


Russell Conway, senior partner at west London firm Oliver Fisher and a member of the PCOL government steering committee, said: 'It's quite an exciting project but the big question is how much the defendants will make use of it.


'It will facilitate getting possession of homes and reduce court costs but will it give access to justice? If someone can't afford the rent on their home, are they going to be able to afford a computer or Internet access?'