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65
The number of summonses issued against owners of property under the Act
and Byelaws was 361 as compared with 343 in the previous year. Complaints
made to the Court with a view to obtaining Nuisance Orders were 285 as against
276 in 1956. There were 45 summonses for non-compliance with Magistrates
Orders as compared with 44 in the previous year.
Nuisance Orders to the number of 164 were made, but in 31 cases no costs
were awarded to the Council. Costs were not sought in 18 of these cases as
the purpose for which the Nuisance Order was obtained was to enable the Council
to carry out the work on behalf of owners in poor financial circumstances, in
62 instances where the necessary work was completed before the dates of the
hearing of the summonses, the Court made Orders for costs.
Summonses issued against 20 defendants were withdrawn as the notices had
been complied with and the Council's costs paid before the cases came up for
hearing- Eight of ten summonses were withdrawn without costs as the work had
been completed before the service of the summonses.
Five summonses were adjourned sine die, one because of a change of ownership,
one to enable roof work to be tested, two on the owner's undertaking to
put work in hand immediately and one to establish proof of ownership. In all
five cases the necessary work was completed and the summonses were not restored
for hearing.
Two summonses were dismissed without costs, in one case because the
defendant was not the "owner" within the meaning of the Act, and in the second
case the defendant satisfied the Court that the work had been completed before
the service of the summons.
One summons for failing to comply with the requirements of a nuisance
notice resulted in the owner being fined and ordered to pay the Council's costs.
Of the total of 45 owners summoned for failure to comply with nuisance
orders, a penalty with costs was awarded against 34, a penalty without costs
against three, and four owners were granted an absolute discharge on payment of
costs. Two summonses were withdrawn without costs, one because the work was
completed before the service of the summons and the other because the Council
agreed to carry out the work necessary to comply with the nuisance order. One
summons was dismissed without costs on a technical defect, and one summons in
respect of premises in a compulsory purchase order was adjourned sine die.
Contraventions of the London County Council Drainage Byelaws necessitated
the issue of 16 summonses.
Five related to the execution of drainage work without giving notice to
the sanitary authority and in one case a penalty without costs was imposed;
the defendants in the other four cases were granted an absolute discharge - two
on payment of costs.
Three summonses were for carrying out drainage work without depositing
plans with the sanitary authority; all three defendants were granted an
absolute discharge but two were ordered to pay the Council's costs.
In five cases of improper construction of waste water fitments two
defendants were granted an absolute discharge on payment of costs, and in three
cases a penalty with costs was imposed
Three summonses related to failure to maintain drains in proper working
order two of the defendants were fined and ordered to pay the Council's costs
and the third summons was withdrawn without costs because the ownership of the
property concerned was in dispute,
A penalty with costs was imposed against one owner who failed to comply
with a notice requiring the clearing of a drain served under Section 40 of the
Public Health (London) Act,
Three summonses, the first for many years, were taken under Section 132
against one owner for letting underground rooms as separate dwellings; a
conditional discharge on payment of costs was granted in each case.
Two itinerant rag and bone dealers convicted of the offence of exchanging
toys for rags contrary to the London County Council Byelaws regulating the
conduct of the business of a Rag and Bone dealer were fined and ordered to pay
the Council's costs.