Paul Cammidge: Specialist Member of the First-tier Tribunal, Residential Property Tribunal
“The range of work is interesting and there are often new challenges. It is made more enjoyable by working with colleagues who are knowledgeable, talented and entirely dedicated to the goals of the Tribunal.”
Background
I am a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and spent the majority of my career in private practice. I have been fortunate in that my career has covered a broad range of surveying disciplines including building surveying and defect analysis, property management and lettings, a wide range of valuation categories, property development and finance, and expert witness.
The application
When I applied for the role of Valuer Member of the First-tier Tribunal, Residential Property Tribunal, I had reached the point in my career where I was of the view that I had a very broad range of experience which could be very useful in assisting the tribunal in their work. I knew other surveyors working for the tribunal, and discussions I had with them over a number of years led me to believe it would be a rewarding and interesting challenge.
The appointment process in itself was quite demanding. It is necessary to undertake a reasonable amount of preliminary work and to carefully consider your experience and how that would meet the requirements of the tribunal. Further careful consideration is required in relation to any referees who will be able to support your application for appointment to the tribunal. As you would expect, the interview process is demanding, and the interview panel often includes valuer members. You also need to be prepared for the fact that the process has a number of distinct stages, and this will often mean that there’s a period of time between application and appointment.
The role
As chartered surveyors, we are often used to dealing with a broad range of property issues. Nevertheless, the wide range of jurisdictions of the tribunal can be a little surprising and the challenge is not only to keep up with the range of cases but the way they operate against a changing backdrop of legislation, precedent, and economic factors. I believe I was very well supported upon appointment, having a fellow chartered surveyor as a mentor. Following that period, the ability to speak to the Regional Surveyor, Regional Judge and any other colleague was something I always found very supportive.
The most fulfilling aspect of the role is to be able to work with colleagues within the tribunal to resolve the issues and disputes that come before us with a view to produce a just outcome.
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