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Consultation Paper on the General Law of the Landlord and Tenant

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8.04 Secti<strong>on</strong> 42 <strong>of</strong> Deasy’s Act does not provide as to how <strong>the</strong>rent is to be paid (o<strong>the</strong>r than “when due” 8 ), for examples, whe<strong>the</strong>r inadvance or in arrear, by cheque or st<strong>and</strong>ing order. The Commissi<strong>on</strong>inclines to <strong>the</strong> view that it would be useful, especially in cases where<strong>the</strong> tenancy has not been created by executi<strong>on</strong> <strong>of</strong> a formal lease, toprovide statutory “default” provisi<strong>on</strong>s to cover such matters.However, it does not c<strong>on</strong>sider that <strong>the</strong> statutory provisi<strong>on</strong>s should g<strong>of</strong>ur<strong>the</strong>r <strong>and</strong>, for example, introduce days for payment, such as <strong>the</strong>comm<strong>on</strong> law ancient feast or quarter days. 9 Such days are rarely, ifever, used in Irel<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> “gale” days for payment <strong>of</strong> instalments<strong>of</strong> rent are invariably as agreed by <strong>the</strong> parties. 10 The Commissi<strong>on</strong> seesno reas<strong>on</strong> to change this positi<strong>on</strong>. The Commissi<strong>on</strong> provisi<strong>on</strong>allyrecommends that <strong>the</strong>re should be a statutory “default” provisi<strong>on</strong> tospecify how, but not <strong>on</strong> what days, <strong>the</strong> rent or o<strong>the</strong>r c<strong>on</strong>siderati<strong>on</strong>should be paid.B Apporti<strong>on</strong>ment8.05 The issue <strong>of</strong> apporti<strong>on</strong>ment <strong>of</strong> rent <strong>and</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r periodicalpayments due under a tenancy may arise in several situati<strong>on</strong>s. Insubstance two main types <strong>of</strong> apporti<strong>on</strong>ment may be necessary orappropriate, usually referred to as apporti<strong>on</strong>ment in respect <strong>of</strong> time<strong>and</strong> in respect <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> estate or interest <strong>of</strong> <strong>on</strong>e or o<strong>the</strong>r <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> parties.Several statutory provisi<strong>on</strong>s apply to such apporti<strong>on</strong>ments.8.06 Apporti<strong>on</strong>ment as to time arises when <strong>the</strong> l<strong>and</strong>lord or tenantceases to hold his or her interest between gale days. TheApporti<strong>on</strong>ment Act 1870 in such cases renders rent <strong>and</strong> o<strong>the</strong>rpayments in <strong>the</strong> nature <strong>of</strong> income 11 apporti<strong>on</strong>able, <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> basis <strong>of</strong>accruing from day to day. 12 This Act has been held to apply both to89101112Cf secti<strong>on</strong> 16(a) <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> 2003 Bill – “<strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> date it falls due for payment”.Ie 25 March (Lady Day), 24 June (Midsummer Day), 29 September(Michaelmas Day) <strong>and</strong> 25 December (Christmas Day). These are stillcomm<strong>on</strong>ly used in Engl<strong>and</strong>: see Hill <strong>and</strong> Redman <strong>Law</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>L<strong>and</strong>lord</strong> <strong>and</strong><strong>Tenant</strong> (Looseleaf Butterworths) Volume 1 paragraph A1563.There are numerous references to “gale” days in Deasy’s Act: see, eg,secti<strong>on</strong>s 6 (paragraph 2.20 above) <strong>and</strong> 47 (receipts for payments).It has been doubted whe<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong> Act applies to <strong>the</strong> right to receive c<strong>on</strong>acreor agistment payments: see Foster v Cunningham [1956] NI 29.Secti<strong>on</strong> 2. This Act replaced <strong>the</strong> earlier Apporti<strong>on</strong>ment Act 1834 <strong>and</strong>113

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