322Liability of occupier to play in default of owner

(1) If any such notice as is referred to in section 320 has been given to any person in respect of property of which he is the owner, and he fails to comply with the notice so given, the Board or the civil area committee or the Chief Executive Officer at whose instance such notice has been issued may require any occupier of such property or of any part thereof to pay to it or him instead of to the owner any rent payable by him in respect of such property, as it falls due, up to the amount recoverable from the owner under section 320:

Provided that if the occupier, on application made to him by the Board or the civil area committee or the Chief Executive Officer at whose instance such notice has been issued, refuses to truly disclose the amount of his rent or the name or address of the person to whom it is payable, the Chief Executive Officer may recover from the occupier the whole amount recoverable under section 320 in the same manner as money is recoverable by the Board under section 324.

(2) Any amount recovered from an occupier instead of from an owner under sub-section (1) shall, in the absence of any contract between the owner and the occupier to the contrary, be deemed to have been paid to the owner.