Chapter 29:15 URBAN COUNCILS ACT 280 When two or more owners liable to pay rate proportionately Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Part but subject to any agreement to the contrary— (a) save as otherwise provided in paragraph (b), when the owner of rateable property ceases to be the owner thereof before the end of the period in respect of which the rate in respect of that property was made, he shall be liable to pay a portion only of the rate payable for the whole of such period proportionate to the time during which he continued to be the owner, and any person who is the owner of that property during the remainder of the period shall be liable to pay a portion of such rate in proportion to the time during which he is the owner thereof and the same shall be recovered from him in the same manner as if he had been originally rated for such property; (b) where any property, in respect of which a supplementary valuation or assessment in terms of section two hundred and forty-eight has been made or the valuation roll has been amended in terms of section two hundred and forty-nine, has been transferred to a new owner prior to that valuation or amendment having been made, the new owner shall not be liable for any rates levied in respect of the period before the date upon which that property was transferred to him but any person who was the owner of that property during the period in respect of which that rate is payable shall be liable to pay a portion of such rate in proportion to the time during that period whilst he was the owner thereof and the same shall be recoverable from him in the same manner as if he had been originally rated for such property. 281 Legal proceedings for recovery of rates No legal proceedings for the recovery of rates shall be instituted against any person referred to— (a) in subsection (2) of section two hundred and seventy-nine unless the council has complied with that subsection and the owner has failed within fourteen days to comply with the demand served on him in terms of that subsection requiring him to pay the amount stated therein; or (b) in subsection (3) of section two hundred and seventy-nine unless he has failed within thirty days to comply with the demand served on him in terms of that subsection requiring him to pay the amount stated therein, subject to the maximum amount provided for in that subsection. 282 Certificate required for transfer of property (1) In this section— “appropriate issuing authority” means— (a) in the case of property situated in a council area or in a local government area the administration, control and management of which has been vested in a council in terms of section six, the council; (b) in the case of property situated in a local government area not referred to in paragraph (a), the appropriate Minister: Provided that, if the Minister has, by statutory instrument, declared that in the case of any such local government area a local board shall issue certificates referred to in subsection (1), that local board shall be the appropriate issuing authority in the case of property situated in that area; “charges” means any charges which are referred to— (a) in section two hundred and eighteen; or (b) in the proviso to paragraph (q) or in paragraph (r) of subsection (2) of section two hundred and thirty-five and have been imposed upon the owner of the property in terms of that section or in terms of section two hundred and five, two hundred and six or two hundred and twenty-seven; “land” does not include an undivided share in land coupled with an exclusive right of occupation to which section 27 of the Deeds Registries Act [Chapter 20:05] applies. 112