Questão jurídica principal
Whether the defendant was validly represented before the tenancy court by a non-lawyer from a fiduciary office
Decisão extraída
The tenancy court must first examine the representation issue; a representative must be a natural person, and absent a written or on-record power of attorney the file showed no valid authorization. Non-lawyer professional representation is only possible within the statutory limits, including the Streitwert threshold under cantonal law.
Fundamentação extraída
Art. 68 ZPO does not impose counsel or representation, but any representative must be a natural person. If the designated person acts professionally, admissibility depends on Art. 68(2)(d) ZPO and the corresponding cantonal regulation. In the present case, the non-lawyer representation was in any event likely barred by the amount in dispute.