The Act – Section by Section Part 3 – Modifications of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997 New section 50A – Liability of owner and successors for expenses of works executed under section 49
113.New section 50A deals with the apportionment of liability for the expenses of urgently necessary works for the preservation of a listed building when a property is sold. It makes it clear that an owner does not cease to be liable when he or she ceases to own a property. Subsection (1) provides that an owner will remain liable for relevant costs after the property has been sold.
114.Subsection (2) deals with the liability of an incoming or “new” owner of a property. A new owner is severally liable with the outgoing owner. If there are further new owners, both or all are bound. This is, however, subject to the provisions of subsection (3) which provides that an incoming owner will be liable for the cost of any urgent works which have been carried out prior to the date on which the new owner becomes the owner of the property only if a notice of liability for expenses has been registered in the property registers (on or before a date 14 days prior to the new owner becoming the owner) and the notice has not expired before that date or that a notice of renewal has been registered and has not expired. Liability for the cost of completed urgent works where no notice has been registered is thus excluded. In other words, if no notice is registered, the purchaser is not liable. Where a notice is registered, then a new owner would be liable for the full amount of the cost of the urgent works as described in the notice.
115.Where the new owner pays any relevant costs, under subsection (8) they may recover the amount paid from a former owner, if the former owner is liable.