Commentary on Sections Part 1: Real Burdens: General Section 17: Further provision as regards extinction where no interest to enforce
96.Section 17 makes it clear that to the extent that a burden is unenforceable it is extinguished. For a burden to be enforceable there must in terms of section 8(1) be someone with both title and interest to enforce it. Whether a person has interest is determined by the test set out in section 8(3) and is particular to each set of circumstances that arise. Section 17 also supplements section 16 which assumes that there will be someone who has interest to enforce. That section would not operate to extinguish a burden (to the extent of the breach) if there is no-one with interest to enforce to give active or passive consent. As the provision has a wider application than just the circumstances envisaged by section 16 it merits a separate section of its own.