The oral nature of proceedings before the

Practical application:

County court proceedings are oral; a party must appear or be represented to validly present claims. Because the landlord was absent, the court could not consider the written submissions, even though they were filed earlier. To avoid dismissal, the landlord must attend in person or ensure a lawyer is present to argue orally. If unavoidable, request an adjournment with justification before the hearing date.

Practical application:

Written submissions are not sufficient in the oral county court procedure; the buyer must appear or be represented to have the claim heard. The court cannot rely on the written dossier alone, so the claim would be disregarded. The buyer should instruct a lawyer to attend and present the arguments orally, or request a later hearing date with proof of the travel obligation. Planning ahead for attendance is essential to avoid losing the case.

Practical application:

The oral nature of county court proceedings means the co-owner must present the challenge orally at the bar; the court cannot consider written observations if the party is absent. To pursue the dispute, the co-owner should appear or instruct a lawyer to speak on their behalf. If attendance is impossible, a formal request for postponement with strong reasons should be filed before the hearing. Keeping all supporting documents is useful, but they must be orally introduced to be part of the record.