(1)An action under section 148 of the Building Safety Act 2022 may not be brought after the expiration of 15 years from the date on which the right of action accrued (see subsection (8) of that section).
(2)An action under section 149 of the Building Safety Act 2022 may not be brought after—
(a)if the right of action accrued before the commencement date, the expiration of the period of 30 years from the date on which it accrued (see subsection (8) of that section), and
(b)if the right of action accrued on or after the commencement date, the expiration of the period of 15 years beginning with the date on which it accrued.
(3)In a case where—
(a)a right of action under section 149 of the Building Safety Act 2022 accrued before the commencement date, and
(b)the expiration of the period of 30 years beginning with the date on which the right of action accrued falls in the year beginning with the commencement date,
subsection (2)(a) has effect as if it referred to the expiration of that year.
(4)In subsections (2) and (3) “the commencement date” is the day on which section 149 of the Building Safety Act 2022 came into force.
(5)No other period of limitation specified by this Part of this Act applies in relation to an action referred to in subsection (1) or (2).
(6)In the computation of a period of time specified in subsection (1) or (2), there is to be disregarded any time during which the person seeking to bring the action (P)—
(a)was under a legal disability by reason of nonage or unsoundness of mind, or
(b)failed to bring the action by reason of—
(i)fraud on the part of the person against whom the action is to be brought (D) or the part of any person acting on D’s behalf, or
(ii)error induced by words or conduct of D or any person acting on D’s behalf,
(but not including, for the purposes of paragraph (b), any time occurring after P could with reasonable diligence have discovered the fraud or error mentioned in that paragraph).
(7)For the purposes of subsection (6)(b), it does not matter whether D, or the person acting on D’s behalf, intended the fraud or the words or conduct to cause P to fail to bring the action.]
Textual Amendments
F1S. 18ZD inserted (28.6.2022) by Building Safety Act 2022 (c. 30), ss. 151(2), 170(3)