Housing Act 1985

PART IV Control Order Followed by Compulsory Purchase Order

Introductory.

22 The provisions of this Part of this Schedule apply where the local housing authority make a control order with respect to a house and within 28 days of the making of that order make a compulsory purchase order for the acquisition of the house under Part II of this Act (provision of housing accommodation).

Preparation and service of management scheme.

23 (1) The local housing authority need not prepare or serve a management scheme under section 386 until they are notified by the Secretary of State of his decision to confirm or not to confirm the compulsory purchase order.

(2) The time within which copies of the scheme are to be served under section 386 is—

(a) if the Secretary of State’s decision is not to confirm the compulsory purchase order, eight weeks from the date on which that decision is notified to the authority;

(b) if the Secretary of State’s decision is to confirm the compulsory purchase order, eight weeks from the time at which the compulsory purchase order becomes operative.

Control order ceases to have effect on acquisition of house.

24 Where the compulsory purchase order is confirmed by the Secretary of State, the control order ceases to have effect—

(a) if the local housing authority enter into a contract to purchase the house, on the date when the contract is made;

(b) if the local housing authority, in pursuance of a notice served under section 11 of the [1965 c. 56.] Compulsory Purchase Act 1965, enter and take possession of the house or serve a notice under section 583 of this Act (power to take possession without displacing tenant), on the date when the notice under section 11 is served.

Balances payable to dispossessed proprietor.

25 (1) Where a control order ceases to have effect by virtue of paragraph 24, the local housing authority shall pay to the dispossessed proprietor the balance which from time to time accrued to the authority after deducting from the rent or other payments received by them from persons occupying the house—

(a) the compensation payable to him by the authority, and

(b) all expenditure (other than capital expenditure) incurred by the authority in respect of the house while the control order was in force.

(2) The local housing authority shall give notice to the dispossessed proprietor informing him of the balances which they propose to pay him under this paragraph and of his right to appeal.

(3) The dispossessed proprietor may, within 21 days of the service of the notice or such longer period as the local housing authority may in writing allow, appeal to the county court.

(4) If on such an appeal the court is of opinion that the balances are unduly low for any reason within the control of the local housing authority, having regard to—

(a) the desirability of observing the standards of management contained in regulations made under section 369 (the management code), and

(b) the other standards which the authority ought to observe as to the number of persons living in the house and the rents which they ought to charge,

the court shall direct that for the purposes of the authority’s liability to the dispossessed proprietor under this paragraph the balances shall be deemed to be such greater amount as the court may direct.

(5) The court shall not under sub-paragraph (4) give a direction which will afford to the dispossessed proprietor a sum greater than the amount which, in the opinion of the court, he may have lost by the making of the control order.

(6) If different persons are dispossessed proprietors of different parts of the house, sums payable under this paragraph shall be apportioned between them in the manner provided by paragraph 14.

Recovery of capital expenditure incurred by local housing authority.

26 (1) The provisions of this paragraph have effect for the purpose of enabling the local housing authority to recover capital expenditure incurred in carrying out works in the house in the period before the control order ceases to have effect.

(2) The local housing authority may, by a notice served on the dispossessed proprietor, specify such works as being works—

(a) which the authority could, if the control order were not in force, have required some person to carry out under any provision of this Part of this Act or under any other enactment relating to housing or public health, and

(b) which could not be postponed because they were urgently required for the sake of the safety, welfare or health of persons living in the house, or other persons;

and such a notice shall inform the dispossessed proprietor of his right to appeal.

(3) The dispossessed proprietor may, within 21 days of the service of the notice or such longer period as the local housing authority may in writing allow, appeal to the county court which may confirm, vary or quash the notice.

(4) Expenditure reasonably incurred by the local housing authority in carrying out the works specified in a notice under this paragraph (or specified in such a notice as varied on appeal) may be deducted by the authority from the balances which they are liable to pay to the dispossessed proprietor under paragraph 25.

(5) So far as that expenditure exceeds those balances, it may, if the house is purchased compulsorily, be deducted from the amount payable as compensation, and accordingly any interest payable on that amount shall be calculated after allowing for the deduction.