Merchant Shipping and Maritime Security Act 1997

22 Disposal of unclaimed wreck. U.K.

(1) Section 240 of the 1995 Act (immediate sale of wreck in certain cases) is amended as follows.

(2) After subsection (1) there is inserted—

“(1A) The receiver may also sell any wreck in his possession before the end of the year referred to in section 239(1) if—

(a) in his opinion it is unlikely that any owner will establish a claim to the wreck within that year; and

(b) no statement has been given to the receiver under section 242(1) in relation to the place where the wreck was found.”

(3) At the beginning of subsection (2) there is inserted “ Subject to subsection (3) below ”, and after that subsection there is inserted—

“(3) Where the receiver sells any wreck in a case falling within subsection (1A) above, he may make to the salvors an advance payment, of such amount as he thinks fit and subject to such conditions as he thinks fit, on account of any salvage that may become payable to them in accordance with section 243(5).”