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70
HOUSING, TOWN PLANNING, ETC., ACT, 1909.
Closing of Premises.
During the year, 74 houses were closed ; 16 of these
have been repaired and reoccupied, 18 have been demolished
and 40 others still remain empty.
Repairs under Section 15.
362 notices were served under the provisions of this
section ; most of them were complied with and the
remainder are in progress, though somewhat slowly.
Section 15 of the Act provides that, in default of the
owner carrying out the required works, the Borough
Council may themselves enter the premises, execute the
works specified in the notice served, and recover the
cost from the owner. Unfortunately the Act contains
no provision for making the expense so incurred a first
charge upon the property, and there is great difficulty
in ascertaining who is the responsible owner within the
meaning of the Act. A circular letter was sent to all
the London Borough Councils enquiring as to their views
upon this section and the replies were unanimous as to
the difficulties experienced or feared. Many of the
Councils' advisers expressed themselves strongly to the
effect that they were not prepared to recommend their
Authority to enter premises and carry out work in view
of the assumed difficulty in recovering the cost. As a
matter of fact, no single Authority had at that time
attempted to effect repairs under the section owing to
this feeling of uncertainty.
Notices were served in respect of 17 houses in
Princes Court; these have not yet been complied with
on account of other notices about to be served upon the
owners (the lessees) by the freeholder in respect of
dilapidations generally. It was felt that the two