Transfer of land of registered housing associations
26.—(1) Where the Department is satisfied, as the result of an inquiry or an audit under Article 23 or 24, that—
(a)there has been in the administration of a registered housing association any misconduct or mismanagement, or
(b)the management of the land belonging to any such association would be improved if the land were to be transferred in accordance with this Article,
the Department may direct the association to transfer the land belonging to it to another body in accordance with paragraph (2).
(2) A direction under paragraph (1) may require the association concerned to transfer the land belonging to it,—
(a)in a case where that association is a charity, to another registered housing association which is a charity and the objects of which appear to the Department to be, as nearly as practicable, akin to those of the association directed to make the transfer; and
(b)in any other case, to the Department or to another registered housing association.
(3) A transfer in pursuance of a direction under paragraph (1) shall be made on the terms that the Department or, as the case may be, the association to which the land is transferred will pay or undertake to pay to the association making the transfer such sum, if any, as will be necessary to defray all its proper debts and liabilities (including any debts and liabilities secured on the land to be transferred) after taking into account any money or other assets belonging to the association.
(4) If it appears to the Department to be likely that, as a result of a transfer in pursuance of a direction under paragraph (1), the association making the transfer will be dissolved as mentioned in paragraph (a) or paragraph (b) of section 64 of the Act of 1969, the Department shall secure that the costs of such a dissolution are taken into account in determining the sum payable to the association under paragraph (3).