Hearing
Overview of the Weathertight Homes Tribunal hearing process, including what decisions cover.
A Weathertight Homes Tribunal hearing is a formal, judicial proceeding that is open to the public. The aim is for the Tribunal to clarify and test the evidence and witness statements and reports.
Each party will be invited to give a brief opening statement and answer questions from the Tribunal member managing the case, followed by questions from other parties. The claimant will present their case first, then the respondent/s.
Witnesses
Witnesses are expected to be available for the hearing and must attend if summoned to answer questions. The Tribunal member will generally allow relevant questioning of a witness by another party, but they can stop questioning they think is unnecessary or time-wasting.
Site visits
The Tribunal member may decide to view the claimant's dwelling to clarify the disputed issues or to better understand the evidence. If so, all parties will be given notice of the site visit and are entitled to attend.
Adjudicator’s decision
Within a month of the hearing, the Tribunal member will produce a written decision that is legally binding on all parties. It sets out who is responsible for the leaks, who should pay the claimant, and how much they should pay. It will be sent to all the parties before being published in the 'Decisions' section of this website.
