Defra – ALT Net Annual Income Assessment Services

To ensure that the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs may fulfil his obligations in respect of agricultural land tenure legislation under which any close relative of a deceased tenant, the nominated successor (in a retirement case), the landlord or the Secretary of the Agricultural Land Tribunal (ALT) may request the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to determine the net annual income of a unit of agricultural land. Acorus Rural Property Services is retained by Defra to undertake land inspections, analysis of the farm unit to be assessed and application of the current Units of Production Order.

The statement of net annual income provided by Acorus on behalf of the Secretary of State will be taken into account by the parties and ALT when considering whether or not the potential successor is already in occupation of a commercial unit of agricultural land (the “occupancy condition” of eligibility) or might become so by virtue of the deemed occupation provision. Although such a statement will often assist the Tribunal it does not bind the Tribunal and if the parties cannot agree may be challenged at a hearing of the Tribunal, attended by the Acorus consultant as an expert witness.