Section 26 Property and Conveyancing Law of the Western Region of Nigeria 1959

Section 26 of the Property and Conveyancing Law of the Western Region of Nigeria 1959 is about Powers of management, etc., conferred on trustees for sale. It provides as follows:

(1) Trustees for sale shall, in relation to land and to the proceeds of sale, have
all the powers conferred upon them by sections 38 to 60 inclusive and (subject to
any express trust to the contrary) all money arising under the said powers shall be
applicable in the same manner as if the money represented proceeds of sale arising under the trust for sale.

All land acquired under this sub-section shall be conveyed to the trustees on trust
for sale.

The powers conferred by this sub-section shall be exercised with such consents (if any) as would have been required on a sale under the trust for sale, and when
exercised shall operate to overreach any equitable interests or powers which are by virtue of this Law or otherwise made to attach to the net proceeds of sale as if created by a trust affecting those proceeds.

(2) Subject to any direction to the contrary in the disposition on trust for sale or in
the settlement of the proceeds of sale, the net rents and profits of the land until sale, after keeping down costs of repairs and insurance and other outgoings shall be paid or applied, in like manner as the income of investments representing the purchase money would be payable or applicable if a sale had been made and the proceeds had been duly invested.

(3) Where the net proceeds of sale have under the trusts affecting the same become absolutely vested in persons of full age in undivided shares (whether or not such shares may be subject to a derivative trust) the trustees for sale may, with the consent of the persons, if any, of full age, not being annuitants, interested in possession in the net rents and profits of the land until sale:
(a) partition the land remaining unsold or any part thereof; and
(b) provide (by way of mortgage or otherwise) for the payment of any equality
money;

and, upon such partition being arranged, the trustees for sale shall give effect thereto by conveying the land so partitioned in severalty (subject or not to any legal mortgage created for raising equality money) to persons of full age and either absolutely or on trust for sale or partly in one way and partly in another in accordance with the rights of the persons interested under the partition, but a purchaser shall not be concerned to see or inquire whether any such consent as aforesaid has been given:

Provided that
(i) If a share in the net proceeds belongs to a lunatic, the consent of his receiver shall be sufficient to protect the trustees for sale;
(ii) If a share in the net proceeds is affected by an incumbrance the trustees for sale may either give effect thereto or provide for the discharge thereof by means of the property allotted in respect of such share, as they may consider expedient.

(4) If a share in the net proceeds is absolutely vested in an infant, the trustees for sale may act on his behalf and retain land (to be held on trust for sale) or other property to represent his share, but in other respects the foregoing power shall apply as if the infant had been of full age.

(5) This section applies to dispositions on trust for sale coming into operation either before or after the commencement or by virtue of this Law.