Commentary on the Sections: Part 1 Claim to acquire right Section 79: Notice of claim to acquire right
134.Section 79 specifies the procedures to be followed in acquiring the right to manage.
135.Subsection (1) provides that a RTM company claims acquisition of the right by giving notice of that claim.  This is known as the ‘claim notice’.
136.Subsection (2) provides that the claim notice may not be given unless at least fourteen days have passed following the service of any notice of invitation to participate.
137.Subsections (3), (4) and (5) provide that a claim notice may only be given if the correct number of qualifying tenants are members of the company.  Ordinarily, the notice will be given by qualifying tenants who hold at least half of the flats in the premises.  However, where there are only two qualifying tenants in the block, both must be members of the company at the time that the claim notice is served.
138.Subsections (6) and (7) provide that the claim notice must be served on anyone, other than a tenant, who is party to a lease of any part of the property and who can be traced at the time the claim notice is to be given.  (That would include any landlord and any third party appointed manager under a lease).  A claim notice must also be served upon anyone appointed manager of the premises under Part 2 of the 1987 Act.  Where no party can be found to serve a claim notice upon, an application will need to be made to a LVT to exercise the right (see section 85).
139.Subsection (8) provides that a copy of the claim notice must be given to each qualifying tenant.  This will allow those who have already become members to be aware that the company is proceeding to exercise the right, and will allow those who are not members to consider whether to do so in the light of the company proceeding.
140.Subsection (9) provides that, where a manager has been appointed under the 1987 Act, a copy of the claim notice must be given to the court or LVT which made the appointment.  This will allow arrangements to be put in hand for the handover of management responsibility.