Section 16
Notices to be given to hirer when goods repossessed
Subject to this section, an owner shall not exercise any power of taking possession of goods comprised in a hire-purchase agreement arising out of any breach of the agreement relating to the payment of instalments unless the payment of instalments amounts to not more than seventy-five percent of the total cash price of the goods comprised in the hire-purchase agreement and there had been two successive defaults of payment by the hirer and he has served on the hirer a notice, in writing, in the form set out in the Fourth Schedule and the period fixed by the notice has expired, which shall not be less than twenty-one days after the service of the notice.
(1A)
Notwithstanding subsection (1), if the payment of instalments made amounts to more than seventy-five percent of the total cash price of the goods comprised in a hire-purchase agreement and there had been two successive defaults of payment by the hirer, an owner shall not exercise any power of taking possession of the goods comprised in the hire-purchase agreement arising out of any breach of the agreement relating to the payment of instalments unless he has obtained an order of the court to that effect.
(1B)
Where an owner has obtained an order of the court under subsection (1A) and he has served on the hirer a notice, in writing, in the form set out in the Fourth Schedule and the period fixed by the notice has expired, which shall not be less than twenty-one days after the service of the notice, the owner may exercise the power of taking possession of goods referred to in subsection (1A).
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(1C)
Where a hirer is deceased, an owner shall not exercise any power of taking possession of goods comprised in a hire-purchase agreement arising out of any breach of the agreement relating to the payment of instalments unless there has been four successive defaults of payments.
(2)
An owner need not comply with subsection (1) if there are reasonable grounds for believing that the goods comprised in the hire-purchase agreement will be removed or concealed by the hirer contrary to the provisions of the agreement, but the onus of proving the existence of those grounds lies upon the owner.
(3)
Within twenty-one days after the owner has taken possession of goods that were comprised in a hire-purchase agreement he shall serve on the hirer and every guarantor of the hirer a notice, in writing, in the form set out in the Fifth Schedule.
(4)
Where the owner takes possession of goods that were comprised in a hire-purchase agreement he shall deliver or cause to be delivered to the hirer personally a document acknowledging receipt of the goods or, if the hirer is not present at that time, send to the hirer immediately after taking possession of the goods a document acknowledging receipt of the goods.
(5)
The document acknowledging receipt of the goods, required under subsection (4) shall set out a short description of the goods and the date on which, the time at which and the place where the owner took possession of the goods.
(6)
If the notice required by subsection (3) is not served, the rights of the owner under the hire-purchase agreement thereupon cease and determine; but if the hirer exercises his rights under this Act to recover the goods so taken possession of, the agreement has the same force and effect in relation to the rights and liabilities of the owner and the hirer as it would have had if the notice had been duly given.
(7)
Before and when exercising the power of taking possession the owner or his servant or agent shall, in addition to the provisions of this
Act, comply with any regulations relating to the manner of taking possession as may be prescribed.
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