Introduction
Preservation of some feudal burdens
255.It will be possible for superiors to preserve some feudal real burdens, but as ordinary non-feudal real burdens, without the trappings of a feudal burden, after abolition of the feudal system. These burdens will, however, then be subject to the existing law on real burdens generally. Certain burdens - common facility and maritime burdens - will be preserved by the Act, and will require no action by the superior (although the superior could no longer enforce the common facility burden unless he owns land benefited by the facility). There are, however, other burdens which can only be preserved after the superior takes certain actions. Section 18 sets out various categories of burden which may be preserved by the superior registering a notice. The superior will incur certain costs in so doing. He will have to check his title deeds, and possibly conduct searches in the property registers. He will have to complete and register the relevant notice set out in schedule 5 to the Act. He may wish to pay for professional advice or services in completing these processes. Section 19 provides for reallotment of a burden by agreement with the vassal. In this case, the superior will have to go through the same processes of checking, searching, issuing the relevant notice intimating an intention to seek such an agreement and registering the agreement (if reached). He may incur professional fees. Section 20 provides for reallotment of burdens by order of the Lands Tribunal for Scotland. In this case, the superior will have had to go through the process of attempting to reach agreement under the section 19 procedures. He will then incur the additional costs of application to the Lands Tribunal, including the fee payable to the Tribunal, any professional costs and registration dues for the order made by the Tribunal. Section 27 gives conservation bodies and the Scottish Ministers the right to preserve conservation burdens. The right to enforce a conservation burden will be restricted to the Scottish Ministers and conservation bodies to be designated by Scottish Ministers. Again there will be administrative and other costs associated with the checking and searching of titles as well as registration of these notices, but again it is a matter of choice for the superior whether he wishes to avail himself of the savings provisions contained in the Act.
