The Planning(Northern Ireland) Order 1991

Execution and cost of works required by enforcement notice

74.—(1) If, within the period allowed for compliance with an enforcement notice, any steps which by virtue of Article 68(7)(a) are required by the notice to be taken (other than the discontinuance of a use of land) have not been taken, a person authorised in writing by the Department may enter upon the land and take those steps and the Department may recover from the person who is then the owner of the land any expenses reasonably incurred by it in that behalf and those expenses shall be a civil debt recoverable summarily.

(2) Any expenses incurred by the owner or occupier of any land for the purposes of complying with an enforcement notice in respect of any breach of planning control, and any sums paid by the owner of any land under paragraph (1), in respect of expenses incurred by the Department in taking steps required to be taken by such a notice, shall be deemed to be incurred for the use and at the request of the person by whom the breach of planning control was committed.

(3) The Department may sell any materials which have been removed by it from any land when carrying into effect this Part if, before the expiration of three days from their removal, they are not claimed by their owner and taken away by him.

(4) Where the Department sells any materials under paragraph (3), it shall pay the proceeds to the person to whom the materials belonged after deducting the amount of any expenses recoverable by it from him.

(5) Paragraphs (3) and (4) do not apply to refuse removed by the Department.

(6) Where the Department claims to recover any expenses under this Article from a person as being the owner of the land in respect of which the expenses were incurred and that person proves that he—

(a) is receiving the rent of that land merely as agent or trustee for some other person; and

(b) has not, and since the date of the service on him of a demand for payment has not had, in his hands on behalf of that other person sufficient money to discharge the whole demand of the Department,

his liability shall be limited to the total amount of the money which he has or has had in his hands as mentioned in sub-paragraph (b), but the Department where it is, or would be, debarred by this paragraph from recovering the whole of any such expenses from an agent or trustee may recover the whole of any unpaid balance thereof from the person on whose behalf the agent or trustee receives the rent.

(7) Any expenses recoverable by the Department under this Article shall, until recovered, be deemed to be charged on and payable out of the estate in the land in relation to which they have been incurred, of the owner of the land and of any person deriving title from him.

(8) The charge created by paragraph (7) shall be enforceable in all respects as if it were a valid mortgage by deed created in favour of the Department by the person on whose estate the charge has been created (with, where necessary, any authorisation or consent required by law) and the Department may exercise the powers conferred by sections 19, 21 and 22 of the [1881 c. 41] Conveyancing Act 1881 on mortgagees by deed accordingly.