37.—(1) Whenever any vessel is sunk, stranded or abandoned in the river lying within the limits of deviation, or without lawful authority left or moored in that part of the river, the Agency may, after giving (except in an emergency) not less than 21 days’ written notice to the owner of the vessel, unless it is not practicable after reasonable inquiry to ascertain the name and address of the owner, raise, remove, store or otherwise dispose of the vessel.
(2) Subject to article 41 (emergency powers and consents), the power conferred by paragraph (1) is not exercisable by the Agency if—
(a)it is within the powers of A.B. Ports to deal with the vessel and A.B. Ports decide to do so; and
(b)if the Agency, having given not less than one month’s notice to A.B. Ports, is informed by A.B. Ports within that time that A.B. Ports intends to act and it does act within a reasonable time after that.
(3) Where a vessel is left or moored adjoining riparian property the Agency must give not less than one month’s notice to the owner or occupier of that property and such owner or occupier may make representations to the Agency as to the proposed raising, removal, storage, or disposal of the vessel.
(4) Any notice given by the Agency under paragraph (1) must—
(a)identify the vessel in respect of which the notice is served and its approximate location;
(b)state that if the owner fails to raise and remove the vessel before the expiry of the period specified in the notice, the Agency may raise and remove the vessel and recover all expenses reasonably incurred in doing so; and
(c)indicate that there is a right to refer the matter to arbitration under article 38 (arbitration in respect of removal of vessels).
(5) The Agency may recover from the owner of any such vessel all expenses reasonably incurred by the Agency in respect of the raising, removal, storage or disposal of the vessel or in raising, removing, storing or disposing of any furniture, tackle and apparel of the vessel or any goods, chattels and effects raised or removed from the vessel.
(6) In any proceedings by the Agency against a person served with a notice under paragraph (1) for the recovery of any expenses which the Agency is entitled to recover from that person under paragraph (5), it is not open to that person to raise any question which could have been raised on a referral to arbitration under article 38.
(7) Subject to paragraph (8), if any vessel to which paragraph (1) applies is not within 6 weeks of its removal by the Agency, proved to the Agency’s satisfaction to belong to any claimant, the vessel (together with any such furniture, tackle and apparel) vests in the Agency.
(8) If within 12 months of its removal a claim is made to the vessel by a person who subsequently proves to the satisfaction of the Agency that that person was the owner of the vessel, or has become the owner since the vessel was sunk, stranded, abandoned, left or moored as mentioned in paragraph (1), then the Agency must—
(a)if the vessel is unsold, permit that person to retake it with any furniture, tackle, apparel, goods, chattels and effects on the vessel upon payment of the expenses referred to in paragraph (5); or
(b)if the vessel and the furniture, tackle and apparel on the vessel have been sold, pay to that person the amount of the proceeds of such sale after deducting those expenses, and in case such proceeds are insufficient to reimburse the Agency those expenses the deficiency may be recovered from that person by the Agency.
(9) In this article—
“owner”, in relation to any vessel sunk, stranded, abandoned, left or moored as mentioned in paragraph (1), means the owner of the vessel at the time of its sinking, stranding, abandonment, leaving or mooring; and
“vessel” includes any part of a vessel.