The Slum Areas (Improvement and Clearance) Act,1956
Section 5. Enforcement of notice requiring execution of works of improvement
(1) If a notice under section 4 requiring the owner of the building to execute works of improvement is not complied with, then, after the expiration of the time specified in the notice the competent authority may itself do the works required to be done by the notice.
(2) All expenses incurred by the competent authority under this section, together with interest, at such rate as the Central Government may by order fix, from the date when a demand for the expenses is made until the payment, may be recovered by the competent authority from the owner of the building as arrears of land revenue:
Provided that if the owner proves that he
(a) Is receiving the rent merely as agent or trustee for some other person; and
(b) Has not in his hands on behalf of that person sufficient money to satisfy the whole demand of the authority his liability shall be limited to the total amount of the money which he has in his hands as aforesaid.
(3) If the owner of the building is different from the person who owns the land on which the building stands and the expenses incurred by the competent authority under this section are recoverable from both these persons, then, such expenses shall be recoverable from them in such proportion as may be determined by the competent authority or by an officer empowered by it in this behalf.
