Clause 122

All and any sums payable by or recoverable from the owner or owners in respect of costs and expenses incurred by the Government in or about the execution of any work which are, under this Act, recoverable from the owner or owners of any premises shall, subject and without prejudice to any other rights of the Government, be a first charge on the premises in respect of which such costs and expenses have been incurred.

In addition to any other remedies conferred by this Act, any such sum may be recovered in the manner hereinafter provided, and the person or persons liable to pay the same shall be the owner or owners at the time when the work was completed.

Any occupier who, when requested by or on behalf of the Commissioner to state the name of the owner of the premises, refuses or wilfully omits to disclose or wilfully mis-states the same shall, unless he shows cause to the satisfaction of the Court for his refusal or mis-statement, be guilty of an offence under this Act and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding five hundred dollars.

If any such sum remains unpaid at the expiration of the prescribed time, a notice shall be served upon the person or any one of the persons, if more than one, liable to pay the same, calling on him to pay the same together with a fee of such amount as may be prescribed for the cost of the notice, within fifteen days of the service of such notice.

If no person liable to pay the same can be found, such notice shall be deemed to have been duly served by the posting thereof at the office of the Commissioner and by fixing a copy thereof on some conspicuous part of the premises in respect of which such costs and expenses have been incurred.

At the expiration of the said period of fifteen days or such further period as may be allowed by the Commissioner, if any such sum or any part thereof remains due and unpaid, it shall be deemed to be arrears and may be recovered as hereinafter provided.

The charge hereinbefore mentioned shall attach, and the powers and remedies hereinbefore conferred shall become exercisable as from the date of completion of the work, and thereafter such powers and remedies may be exercised against the premises or against any movable property or crops for the time being found thereon, notwithstanding any change or changes in the ownership or occupation of the premises subsequent to the said date.