33I—Sale of land for non-payment
(1) Where an amount
payable under this Act, or interest in relation to such an amount, is a first
charge on land and has been unpaid for one year or more, the Council may sell
the land.
(2) Before the Council
sells land in pursuance of this section, it must serve notice on the owner and
occupier of the land—
(a)
stating the period for which the amount and interest have been unpaid; and
(b)
stating the amount of the total liability for the amount and interest
presently outstanding and charged on the land; and
(c)
stating that if that amount is not paid in full within one month of service of
the notice (or such longer time as the Council may allow), the Council intends
to sell the land for non-payment of the amount and interest.
(3) A copy of a notice
must be served on the registered mortgagee or encumbrancee of the land (if
any).
(4) If the outstanding
amount is not paid in full within the time allowed under subsection (2),
the Council may proceed to sell the land.
(5) The sale will,
except in the case of land held from the Crown under a lease, licence or
agreement to purchase, be by public auction (and the Council may set a reserve
price for the purposes of the auction).
(6) An auction under
this section must be advertised on at least two separate occasions in a
newspaper circulating generally throughout the State.
(7) If, before the
date of the auction, the outstanding amount and the costs incurred by
the Council in proceeding under this section are paid to the Council,
the Council must withdraw the land from auction.
(8) If—
(a) an
auction fails; or
(b) the
land is held from the Crown under a lease, licence or agreement to purchase,
the Minister may sell the land by private contract for the best price that he
or she can reasonably obtain.
(9) Any money received
by the Council or the Minister in respect of the sale of land under this
section will be applied as follows:
(a)
firstly—in paying the costs of the sale and any other costs incurred in
proceeding under this section;
(b)
secondly—in discharging the liability for the amount and interest
payable under this Act;
(c)
thirdly—in discharging any liability to the Crown for rates, charges or
taxes (including rates, charges or taxes that are a first charge on the land);
(d)
fourthly—in discharging any liability to a council for rates or any
other liability to a council in respect of the land;
(e)
fifthly—in discharging any liabilities secured by registered mortgages,
encumbrances or charges;
(f)
sixthly—in discharging any other mortgages, encumbrances and charges of
which the Council or the Minister (as the case may be) has notice;
(g)
seventhly—in payment to the former owner of the land.
(10) If the former
owner cannot be found after making reasonable inquiries as to his or her
whereabouts, an amount payable to the former owner must be dealt with in
accordance with section 6 of the Unclaimed Money Act 2021 as money
the owner of which cannot be found.
(11) Where land is
sold by the Council or the Minister in pursuance of this section, an
instrument of transfer executed by the Council or the Minister (as the case
may be) will operate to vest title to the land in the purchaser.
(12) The title vested
in a purchaser under subsection (11) will be free of—
(a) all
mortgages and charges; and
(b)
except in the case of land held from the Crown under lease or
licence—all leases and licences,
(and the Registrar-General, when registering or enrolling an instrument of
transfer to vest title in the purchaser, must discharge any caveat relating to
the land, and may make any note or endorsement, or take any other action in
relation to any instrument, certificate, register or record, as the
Registrar-General thinks fit).
(13) An instrument of
transfer passing title to land in pursuance of a sale under this section must,
when lodged with the Registrar-General for registration or enrolment, be
accompanied by a statutory declaration made by the presiding member of
the Council stating that the requirements of this section in relation to the
sale of the land have been observed.
(15) A reference in
this section to land, or title to land, held from the Crown under lease,
licence or agreement to purchase, is a reference to the interest of the
lessee, licensee or purchaser in the land.