Service and hearing of summons under section 26

(1) Every summons issued under section 26 of this Act, shall be served by, (a) affixing and leaving affixed a copy of the summons upon any building, wall, tree, post (and for this purpose the driving or placing of a post shall not be actionable) or other prominent place upon the property described in the said summons; and (b) affixing and leaving affixed a copy of the summons upon some prominent place within or about the court house building in which the information specified in such summons is intended to be heard; and (c) publishing a copy of the said summons in three consecutive issues of the Gazette. (2) At the time and place appointed in and by any such summons for the hearing of the information therein specified, any person having or claiming any estate or interest in the said property may appear in the same manner as if the summons 25 had been directed to him by name, but if no such person appears, then upon proof that the summons has been served as provided in this section and that the reasonable inquiry mentioned in section 26 of this Act, has been made, the information specified in the summons may be heard and adjudicated upon ex parte, Provided that if upon such hearing it is found that the whole or any part of the rate specified in such information is due, the owner of the property shall be adjudged to pay the rate so found to be due, together with such costs, if any, as may be awarded, but no further order shall be made as to distress or imprisonment in default of payment. (3) Every order made ex parte upon any such summons shall be published in the Gazette and a national newspaper and, if after the expiration of three months from the date of the later of these publications the amount of the rate and the costs specified in such order has not been paid, section 28 shall apply, and it shall be deemed that the costs of the proceedings and the amount of the rate due and recoverable cannot be raised by the sale of the goods and chattels of the owner of the