The Act Part 2 – Dispute Resolution
63.The main effects of Part 2 of the Act are to:
	establish a homeowner housing panel and homeowner housing committees similar to the private rented housing panel and private rented housing committees constituted by the Rent (Scotland) Act 1982 and renamed by the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006;
	enable a homeowner to apply in writing to the homeowner housing panel for a determination of whether their property factor has failed to carry out the property factor’s duties or to comply with the property factor code of conduct;
	require a homeowner to notify the property factor in writing of the alleged failure and allow them a reasonable opportunity to resolve the concern before making an application to the panel;
	require the president of the homeowner housing panel to refer accepted applications to a homeowner housing committee;
	require a homeowner housing committee to decide whether a property factor has failed to carry out its duties or to comply with the property factor code of conduct and, if the property factor has so failed, whether to make a property factor enforcement order setting out any work to be executed and any payment to be made to the homeowner;
	make it an offence to fail, without reasonable excuse, to comply with a property factor enforcement order;
	enable the Scottish Ministers to make regulations about the recovery of relevant costs from property factors in cases which are referred to a homeowner housing committee or where a property factor enforcement order has been made against a factor;
	allow an appeal to the sheriff (on a point of law only) in relation to a decision by the president of the homeowner housing panel or a homeowner housing committee; and
	require the president of the homeowner housing panel to prepare an annual report for submission to the Scottish Ministers, who then lay it before the Scottish Parliament.