Building Societies Act 1986

Undertaking against and declaration of non-anticipation of powers

16 (1) Where a building society adopts any adoptable power under paragraph 4 above then—

(a) it shall, by virtue of this paragraph, assume an obligation, enforceable as provided in paragraph 17 below, not to exercise that power until the date on which the alteration of its powers takes effect, and

(b) it shall send to the central office, with the documents required by paragraph 4(2) above, a declaration as respects that power made on behalf of the society which satisfies the requirements of this paragraph.

(2) The obligation assumed by virtue of this paragraph on the adoption of a power does not extend to the exercise of any power included in the adoptable power which the society has under the law in force at any time before the registration takes effect.

(3) A declaration, to satisfy the requirements of this paragraph, must be made by the chairman of the board of directors of the society, by one other director and by the chief executive of the society and it must either—

(a) state that, to the best of the knowledge and belief of the declarants, after due enquiry, the society has not, or has not with the permitted qualification, carried on any activity comprised in the power during the period which began one year before the specified date and expired with the date of the meeting at which the power was adopted, or

(b) state that, to the best of the knowledge and belief of the declarants, after due enquiry, the society, with specified exceptions, has not, or has not with the permitted qualification, carried on any activity comprised in the power during the period which began one year before the specified date and expired with the date of the meeting at which the power was adopted.

(4) The qualification of the statement so required which is permitted is that in so far as the society has, at any time during the said period, carried on any activity comprised in the power to which the statement relates, the society had the power to carry on that activity at that time under the law in force at that time.

(5) The exceptions to the statement so required must not include activities of the society which constitute significant excesses of its powers during the said period; and a declaration specifying activities as exceptions to the statement so required must also state the opinion of the declarants that the activities are believed not to constitute significant excesses of the society's powers during the period to which the declaration relates.