Singapore legislation
Section 39
Section 39
Proceedings for recovery of arrears
(1)
For the recovery of arrears, the Comptroller has and may exercise, either successively or concurrently, in addition to any other remedies conferred by this Act, either or both of the following powers:
the Comptroller may issue a warrant of attachment and may seize by virtue thereof any movable property and crops of any person liable to pay the arrears and may also seize any movable property or any crops to whomsoever belonging which are found on the premises in respect of which the arrears are due and may, after service of the prescribed notice, sell the property by public auction or in such manner as may be prescribed;
the Comptroller may, by notice of sale to be served or published in the prescribed manner, declare the Comptroller’s intention of selling, at the expiry of 3 months from the date of the notice of sale, the premises in respect of which the arrears are due and, if, at the expiry of that period, the arrears have not been paid or satisfied, the Comptroller may sell by public auction, in lots or otherwise, the whole of such premises or such portion thereof or such interest therein as the Comptroller considers sufficient for the recovery of the arrears and costs.
(2)
The Comptroller must not proceed under subsection (1)(b) to sell the premises in respect of which the arrears are due, or any portion thereof or interest therein, where there is or are upon the premises and liable to be seized and sold under subsection (1)(a) movable property or crops belonging to the owner of a value estimated by the Comptroller to be sufficient to realise the sum required to satisfy the arrears and costs.
(3)
Any tenant, subtenant or occupier (X) who, in order to avoid the seizure or sale of X’s property for non‑payment of arrears payable by the owner of the premises, pays the arrears and costs may thereafter, in the absence of any written agreement to the contrary, deduct the amount so paid by X from the rent due or to become due by X to X’s immediate landlord on account of the premises or such part thereof as is held or occupied by X, and may retain possession thereof until that amount has been fully reimbursed to X whether by deduction from the rent or otherwise.
(4)
Any tenant or subtenant (X) who has reimbursed (whether by allowing a deduction from the rent or otherwise) any subtenant or occupier (Y) holding or occupying under X the amount so paid by Y has a similar right to deduct that amount from the rent due or to become due to X’s immediate landlord and to retain possession until similarly reimbursed.
(5)
The receipt of the Comptroller or of any duly authorised officer of his or her department for any amount so paid by any such tenant, subtenant or occupier is deemed an acquittance in full for the like amount of rent.
(6)
If any premises in respect of which arrears are due, or any such movable property or crops as are mentioned in subsection (1) or the proceeds of sale thereof are already in the custody of the law under any process of execution whereby the Comptroller is unable to exercise the powers under this section, the Comptroller may notify the Sheriff or the bailiff of the court concerned of the amount of the arrears, and is entitled without obtaining a judgment to be paid such amount out of the proceeds of sale of that premises or property in priority to the judgment debtor and to the judgment creditor and to any other creditor, except the Government.
(7)
A certificate from the Comptroller is, unless it is disputed by the judgment debtor, conclusive evidence of the amount of the arrears, and in case of dispute, the amount is to be summarily determined by the court concerned.
(8)
Where premises are sold under subsection (1)(b), the Comptroller has power to execute the conveyance and the purchaser of the premises must not be concerned to inquire whether the provisions of this Act relating to the sale and the conveyance have been complied with nor otherwise to inquire into the regularity or validity of the sale and conveyance.
(9)
Subsection (8) —
is deemed to apply to all conveyances executed by the Comptroller before 17 August 1973, and all such conveyances so executed are accordingly deemed always to have been or to be validly executed; and
does not affect the application of section 144 of the Land Titles Act 1993 in relation to registered land.