Irish Land Act 1903

7 Sales in Court of Land Judge

Where it appears to the Land Commission expedient to take steps with a view to the purchase, for the purposes of this Part of this Act, of an estate for the sale of which an absolute order has been made under the [21 & 22 Vict. c. 49.] Landed Estates Court (Ireland) Act, 1858, the following provisions shall have effect:—

(1) The Land Judge may, at the request of the Land Commission, cause the Commission to be furnished with such particulars and documents as they may require respecting the estate, including a schedule in the prescribed form of the tenancies thereon and a statement of the superior interests (if any) to which the estate is subject:

(2) The Land Commission, after causing the estate to be inspected, may, subject to the provisions of the last preceding section as to undertakings to purchase holdings and resale without prospect of loss, make an offer to the Land Judge for the purchase of the estate, or of any part thereof, discharged from the claims of all persons who are interested in the estate, whether in respect of superior or intervening interests, or incumbrances, or otherwise, and the offer shall contain the following particulars :—

(a) The land comprised in the offer;

(b) The arrears of rent which are to be transferred to the Commission; and

(c) The amount of the purchase money :

(3) The Land Judge, after giving such notice of the offer as he thinks fit, and after giving all parties interested in the estate an opportunity of being heard, shall, if he does not consider the offer sufficient, as soon as practicable, unless the offer is in the meantime withdrawn, put up for public auction the land specified therein discharged from all claims as aforesaid, but subject to the conditions mentioned therein as to arrears of rent or otherwise, and shall, unless he considers it unreasonable or unjust, having regard to the interests of any such party as aforesaid, sell the same to the highest bidder.

(4) Where an estate is sold in pursuance of this section the Land Judge shall have all the powers for the apportionment and redemption of superior and intervening interests conferred on him by the Land Purchase Acts:

(5) An order of the Land Judge declaring the Land Commission to be the purchasers of any land shall have the effect of an order vesting land in the Commission made by them under this Part of this Act, and shall also vest in them the right to collect and recover any arrears of rent specified in the order, and a certified copy thereof shall be transmitted to the registering authority under the [54 & 55 Vict. c. 66.] Local Registration of Title (Ireland) Act, 1891, and the Land Commission shall thereupon be registered, under that Act, as the absolute owners of the land :

(6) Where the Land Commission make an offer under this section for the purchase of an estate, the provisions of section forty of the Act of 1896 shall be suspended and shall not have effect, in the case of that estate, unless and until the offer is withdrawn or the estate is put up for auction and not sold.