Housing Act 1985

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.