547. Liability of occupier to pay in default of owner.
(1)If any notice, order or requisition has been issued to any person in respect of any property of which he is the owner the authority or the officer at whose instance such notice, order or requisition has been issued may, notwithstanding anything contained in the East Punjab Urban Rent Restriction Act, 1949 or any other law for the time being in force, require the occupier of such property or any part thereof to pay to it or him, as the case may be, instead of to the owner, any rent payable by him in respect of such property, as it falls due upto the amount recoverable from the owner under section 546 :Provided that if the occupier refuses to disclose the correct amount of the rent payable by him or the name or address of person to whom it is payable, the authority or the officer, as the case may be, may recover from the occupier the whole amount so recoverable as an arrears of tax under this Act.(2)Any amount recovered from an occupier instead of from an owner under sub- section (1) shall, in the absence of any contract between the owner and the occupier to the contrary, be deemed to have been paid by the owner.
