Step-in power: recovery of expenses
88.Section 63 makes provision enabling the Scottish Ministers to recover from the person who has failed to comply with a remedial notice (including any associated conditions) or registered remedial notice expenses in connection with the exercise of the Scottish Ministers’ section 59 step-in power. The expenses which may be recovered are set out in subsection (2), and include administrative expenses and interest.
89.Section 64 provides powers for the Scottish Ministers to apply to register a notice of liability for expenses specifying the matters set out in that section. This is for the purposes of enabling them to recover the expenses including (in accordance with section 65) from any new owner of the land to which the notice relates unless the liability was discharged prior to the acquisition of the land by the new owner (see section 66).
90.Section 65 makes provision to enable the recovery of expenses from a new owner of land, who will become severally liable for those expenses along with the former owner of the land, where a notice of liability for expenses is registered in relation to the land at least 14 days before the date on which the new owner acquired a right to the land (subsections (1) and (2)). However, subsection (3) provides that the former owner of the land does not cease to be liable for expenses and interest under section 63 by virtue only of ceasing to be the owner of the land. Moreover, subsections (4) and (5) provide the new owner with a right to recover from the previous owner any amount paid by the new owner in satisfaction of the liability for the expenses and interest due under section 63, including in the case where the new owner ceases to own the land.
91.Section 66 introduces a requirement for the Scottish Ministers to apply to register a notice of discharge of liability of expenses where liability for expenses and interest to which a registered notice of liability for expenses has been discharged. The Scottish Ministers must specify the matters in subsection (2) in the notice.
