Section 279: Prohibition of building a house in other’s land without consent

1) No person shall build a house in a land without obtaining the written consent of the owner of that land.

2) If any person builds a house in a land without obtaining written consent of the owner of that land, the land-owner may, if he or she so desires, purchase the house on payment of the price that is less by up to twenty-five percent of the market price of that house.

3) If the land-owner does not purchase such house pursuant to sub-section (2), the house-owner may, if the owner so consents, purchase the land on payment of the price that is higher by up to twenty-five percent of the market price of the land where the house is located.

4) If both parties do not agree to purchase and sell the house or land pursuant to sub-section (2) or (3), the person who has built the house shall demolish the house and take away his or her materials within a period of three months of the date on which the house was so built.

5) If the house is not demolished within the period referred to in sub-section (4), such a house shall belong to the landowner.