Chapter 228 – Land (Compulsory Eviction) Act
What is this act about?
Din il-liġi tippermetti lill-Gvern li jwettaq żgumbramenti sfurzati minn artijiet u proprjetajiet li huma tiegħu jew li jamministra. L-għan huwa li jiġu indirizzati okkupazzjonijiet mingħajr titolu jew b'ksur ta' termini kuntrattwali.
Who it applies to: Kull persuna li tokkupa art tal-Gvern mingħajr titolu jew bi ksur ta' termini kuntrattwali; Il-Kummissarju tal-Artijiet u l-uffiċjali tal-Pulizija involuti fl-infurzar tal-ordnijiet.
At a glance
- Country
- Malta
- Area of law
- Other legislation
- Articles
- 10
- Source
- legislation.mt
- Text retrieved
- Explanation updated
What does this act regulate?
- L-iżgumbrament sfurzat ta' persuni minn artijiet tal-Gvern.
- It-tneħħija ta' oġġetti mobbli minn artijiet li qed jiġu żgumbrati.
- Il-proċedura għall-ordnijiet ta' żgumbrament u l-infurzar tagħhom.
- Il-penali għal nuqqas ta' provvista ta' informazzjoni jew provvista ta' informazzjoni falza.
Who does this act apply to?
- Kull persuna li tokkupa art tal-Gvern mingħajr titolu jew bi ksur ta' termini kuntrattwali.
- Il-Kummissarju tal-Artijiet u l-uffiċjali tal-Pulizija involuti fl-infurzar tal-ordnijiet.
What are the key points?
- Il-Kummissarju tal-Artijiet jista' jordna żgumbrament sfurzat jekk iqis li huwa meħtieġ jew opportun.
- Jekk l-okkupant ma jikkonformax mal-ordni, il-Pulizija tista' tuża forza raġonevoli biex tinforza l-ordni.
- Il-Kummissarju mhuwiex obbligat jipprovdi ħażna alternattiva għall-oġġetti mobbli, u t-tneħħija tagħhom hija r-riskju u l-ispiża tal-persuna żgumbrata.
- Nuqqas ta' provvista ta' informazzjoni jew provvista ta' informazzjoni falza lill-Kummissarju tista' twassal għal multa ta' bejn €23.29 u €232.94, jew priġunerija sa tliet xhur, jew it-tnejn.
Other legislation
Legal text
Legal text
LAND (COMPULSORY EVICTION)
CHAPTER 228
LAND (COMPULSORY EVICTION) ACT To make provision for the compulsory eviction from land and tenements owned or administered by Government or held by Government under any other title.
4th April, 1972 ACT XIV of 1972, as amended by Acts XIII of 1983, VIII of 1990 and III of 2004; Legal Notice 411 of 2007; Act III of 2011 and XV of 2017.
Art. 1
The short title of this Act is the Land (Compulsory Eviction) Act.
Art. 2
In this Act unless the context otherwise requires:
Short title.
Interpretation. "Commissioner" means the Commissioner of Land; "land" means any land or building owned or administered by the Government or any part thereof and any land or building or part thereof held by the Government under any title; "order" means an order in writing given by the Commissioner.
Art. 3
Compulsory eviction.
Amended by:
III. 2004.67;
III. 2011.3.
Provided that the provisions of article 535 of the Civil Code shall not be applicable to eviction orders issued in accordance with subarticle (1):
Provided further that an eviction order so issued shall not constitute an arbitrary exercise of pretended rights in terms of article 85 of the Criminal Code.
Provided that before the removal of such movable effects an inventory of such effects shall be made and such inventory shall be signed by the Commissioner or his representative and by a Police officer:
Provided further that the evictee shall be liable to refund any expenses which may have been incurred by the government directly or in connection with the eviction.
Power to require information.
Art. 4
Service.
Substituted by:
III. 2011.4.
Art. 5
Service of any order, notice or direction on any person for the purposes of this Act shall be effected by the Executive Police, or by an officer of the Government Property Department or by a person authorised by the Commissioner to act on behalf of the Government Property Department for the purposes of this Act.
Absentees and service thereon.
Amended by:
XV. 2017.55.
Art. 6
In the case of any person absent from Malta any order, notice or direction shall for the purpose of this Act be validly served on any known lawful representative of such absent person or, in the absence of a known lawful representative, on such person’s spouse, civil union partner or cohabitant or on a near relation of such person by consanguinity or affinity.
Power to sell movable effects.
Substituted by:
III. 2011.5.
Art. 7
Following the execution of the eviction and once the evictee has been informed of the expenses incurred, such evictee shall have a period of fifteen days to fully reimburse the Commissioner with all expenses incurred and to collect movable effects seized during the eviction and on failure by the evictee to do so, the Commissioner shall have the right to sell any such movable effects by public auction:
Provided that, without prejudice to the provisions contained in article 8, the proceeds of such public auction, after the deduction of any amount due to the Government in terms of article 3(4) and of the fees incurred for the auction, shall be paid to the person to LAND (COMPULSORY EVICTION) whom the said movable effects belonged.
Art. 8
If any person, having purchased movable effects at a public auction held under the provisions of the previous article, fails within fourteen days from the date of the sale of any such movable effects to him, to take delivery of and remove any such movable effects, then any such movable effects not removed by the purchaser shall be forfeited to Government and the evictee or purchaser shall have no right to claim any compensation or refund of the price or any part thereof paid for such movable effects as the case may be.
Failure of purchaser to take delivery and remove effects.
Art. 9
Any person who without lawful excuse, the proof whereof shall lie on him, commits a breach of the provisions contained in article 4 whether by refusing to supply information or by supplying false information when required under the provisions of this Act to give information, shall be guilty of an offence under this Act and shall on conviction be liable to a fine (multa) of not less than twenty-three euro and twenty-nine cents (23.29) but not exceeding two hundred and thirty-two euro and ninety-four cents (232.94) or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding three months or to both such fine and imprisonment.
Penal provisions.
Amended by:
XIII. 1983.5;
L.N. 411 of 2007.
Art. 10
Competence in respect of offences under this Act.
Amended by:
VIII. 1990.3.
Provided that if any higher punishment is applicable to the offence under any other law whenever the circumstances set out in such other law concur in the offence, the punishment laid down in that other law shall apply and it shall be tried by the appropriate court.