Stage4of 5

Understand the decision and recover money

Identify exactly what the FTT decided, rebuild the account and choose the correct repayment route.

Do these three things first

Separate declarations from express payment orders.
Rebuild the account from demands, payments and the FTT findings.
Check why the money is repayable and who should be the defendant before issuing a fresh claim.

What this stage can look like

Use these compact illustrations to recognise the work and improve what you already have. Keep your facts and existing document; add what is missing. The wording and figures below are hypothetical, not text to file unchanged.

A decision classified before money is requested

Similar-looking paragraphs can have different legal effects. Label what each paragraph actually does before calculating a balance.

Open the detailed guidance

Model paragraphThe tribunal determines that £280 was payable for the communal-cleaning charge.

Record it asA section 27A determination. It states the amount payable; it is not, by those words alone, an order to repay £140.

Model paragraphThe respondent shall reimburse the applicant's £100 tribunal fee within 14 days.

Record it asAn express payment direction for the fee, with a due date.

Model paragraphThe application under section 20C is granted.

Record it asProtection against specified litigation costs being passed through the service charge—not payment of the applicant's own costs.

Strengthen what you already have

Annotate the decision you already have paragraph by paragraph.
Copy the exact payment words and deadline rather than paraphrasing them.
Keep fee reimbursement, costs protection and the charge determination on separate calculation rows.

A repayment figure that shows its workings

A short calculation lets the recipient disagree with a particular row rather than rejecting an unexplained total.

Open the detailed guidance

Amount demanded and paid£420.00

Amount determined payable£280.00

Difference£140.00

Later credits already received£0.00

Principal repayment requested£140.00

Cross-checkThese are the leaseholder's figures. If the decision uses whole-building figures, apply the lease share once and show where.

Strengthen what you already have

Keep your existing spreadsheet; add source columns for the demand, payment and decision paragraph.
Show credits and payments after the decision so they are not claimed twice.
Separate principal, interest and recoverable fees.

A response to the ‘wrong court route’ point

This model concedes the important distinction, then states the route actually relied upon.

Open the detailed guidance

Defence pointThe FTT determination cannot simply be enforced as a County Court money judgment.

Model responseThe claimant agrees that the declaratory section 27A determination is not itself a money judgment. This is a fresh claim for repayment of money paid above the amount determined payable, based on [state the legal basis]. Enforcement would begin only after a money judgment.

EvidenceFTT decision, demands, proof of payment, repayment calculation, pre-action correspondence and evidence identifying the defendant.

Strengthen what you already have

Do not discard a response you have drafted; remove any description of the fresh claim as CPR 70.5 enforcement.
State the legal basis for repayment and why this defendant is said to owe it.
Answer any calculation, party or signed-document point separately.

Guidance for this stage

Open the topic that matches the work in front of you.

Read the order before calculating the outcomeSeparate declarations, payment directions, costs orders and appeal dates before asking for money.9 min Build a fresh repayment claim when one is neededUse the FTT findings in a clearly stated money claim without confusing that claim with direct enforcement.13 min Answer the defence that was actually filedAnswer each point about the court route, calculation, parties or signed documents with the relevant law and evidence.10 min

Do these three things first

A decision classified before money is requested

Strengthen what you already have

A repayment figure that shows its workings

Strengthen what you already have

A response to the ‘wrong court route’ point

Strengthen what you already have

Guidance for this stage

Templates and checklists