Limitation Act 1980

In force

This text since 27 Apr 2017law://uk/ukpga/1980/58/sec_27A@2026-11-14

Contents

27AActions for recovery of property obtained through unlawful conduct etc.#

(1)None of the time limits given in the preceding provisions of this Act applies to any proceedings under Chapter 2 of Part 5 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (civil recovery of proceeds of unlawful conduct).

(2)Proceedings under that Chapter for a recovery order in respect of any recoverable property shall not be brought after the expiration of the period of 20 years from the date on which the relevant person's cause of action accrued.

(3)Proceedings under that Chapter are brought when—

(a)a claim form is issued, or

(aa)an application is made for a property freezing order, or

(b)an application is made for an interim receiving order,

whichever is the earliest.

(4)The relevant person's cause of action accrues in respect of any recoverable property—

(a)in the case of proceedings for a recovery order in respect of property obtained through unlawful conduct, when the property is so obtained,

(b)in the case of proceedings for a recovery order in respect of any other recoverable property, when the property obtained through unlawful conduct which it represents is so obtained.

(4A)Subsection (4) is subject to section 13(5) of the Criminal Finances Act 2017 (which provides that, in the case of property obtained through unlawful conduct relating to a gross human rights abuse or violation, proceedings cannot be brought after the end of the period of 20 years from the date on which the conduct constituting the commission of the abuse or violation occurs).

(5)If—

(a)a person would (but for the preceding provisions of this Act) have a cause of action in respect of the conversion of a chattel, and

(b)proceedings are started under that Chapter for a recovery order in respect of the chattel,

section 3(2) of this Act does not prevent his asserting on an application under section 281 of that Act that the property belongs to him, or the court making a declaration in his favour under that section.

(6)If the court makes such a declaration, his title to the chattel is to be treated as not having been extinguished by section 3(2) of this Act.

(7)Expressions used in this section and Part 5 of that Act have the same meaning in this section as in that Part.

(8) In this section “ relevant person ” means—

(a)the National Crime Agency,

(b)the Director of Public Prosecutions,

(c). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(d)the Director of the Serious Fraud Office.

(e)Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, or

(f)the Financial Conduct Authority.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Key facts

Type: Act · 1980 c. 58
Made by: Parliament of the United Kingdom
Extent: England, Wales and Northern Ireland

History · 7 versions

27 Apr 2017Reading
27 Mar 2014
7 Oct 2013
25 Jan 2010
1 Apr 2008
1 Jan 2006
24 Feb 2003
changed by Proceeds of Crime Act 2002

What changed on 27 Apr 2017

Connections

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Amended by 25: Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024; Fraud Act 2006; Crime and Policing Act 2026; Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Act 2025; Environment Act 2021; Overseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Act 2021; Automated and Electric Vehicles Act 2018; The Cross-Border Mediation (EU Directive) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019; The Alternative Dispute Resolution for Consumer Disputes (Extension of Time Limits for Legal Proceedings) (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020; Criminal Finances Act 2017; Deregulation Act 2015; The Alternative Dispute Resolution for Consumer Disputes (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2015; The Alternative Dispute Resolution for Consumer Disputes (Amendment) Regulations 2015; Crime and Courts Act 2013; The Public Bodies (Merger of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Director of Revenue and Customs Prosecutions) Order 2014; The Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (External RequestsandOrders)(Amendment)Order2013; Welfare Reform Act 2012; The Cross-Border Mediation (EU Directive) Regulations 2011 (revoked); The Building Regulations 2010; Policing and Crime Act 2009; The Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (External Requests and Orders) (Amendment) Order 2008; Serious Crime Act 2007; Mental Capacity Act 2005; Finance Act 2007; Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005
Repealed by 3: Mental Capacity Act 2005; Land Registration Act 2002; Trusts of Land and Appointment of Trustees Act 1996
Applied by 5: Arbitration Act 1996; Consumer Rights Act 20152 provisions; Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024; The Consumer Protection (Amendment) Regulations 2014; Trade Marks Act 1994

Defined terms · 22

Show every defined term

action
includes any proceeding in a court of law, including an ecclesiastical court (and see subsection (11) below);
ADR
has the same meaning as in Chapter 4 of Part 4 of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024;
consumer contract dispute
has the same meaning as in Chapter 4 of Part 4 of that Act.
damage
means—
foreshore
means the shore and bed of the sea and of any tidal water, below the line of the medium high tide between the spring tides and the neap tides.
land
includes corporeal hereditaments, tithes and rent-charges and any legal or equitable estate or interest therein... but except as provided above in this definition does not include any incorporeal hereditament;
overseas armed forces action
means an action, or cause of action, which—
overseas operations
means any operations outside the British Islands, including peacekeeping operations and operations for dealing with terrorism, civil unrest or serious public disorder, in the course of which members of Her Majesty's forces come under attack or face the threat of attack or violent resistance;
personal injuries
includes any disease and any impairment of a person’s physical or mental condition, and “injury” and cognate expressions shall be construed accordingly;
personal representative
has the same meaning as in section 11 of this Act.
promissory note
has the same meaning as in the Bills of Exchange Act 1882.
relevant person
means—
relevant provision
means—
rent
includes a rentcharge and a rentservice;
rentcharge
means any annuity or periodical sum of money charged upon or payable out of land, except a rent service or interest on a mortgage on land;
the commencement date
means the day on which section 135 of the Building Safety Act 2022 came into force.
the court
means the court in which the action has been brought.
the relevant date
means—
the section 11 relevant date
means the latest of the following— (a) the date from which the period of three years starts to run in accordance with section 11(4) or (5);
the section 12 relevant date
means the latest of the following— (a) the date from which the period of three years starts to run in accordance with section 12(2);
theft
includes— and references in this section to a chattel being “stolen” shall be construed accordingly.
third party proceedings
means any proceedings brought in the course of any action by any party to the action against a person not previously a party to the action, other than proceedings brought by joining any such person as defendant to any claim already made in the original action by the party bringing the proceedings.

Defined terms · 22

Show every defined term

action
includes any proceeding in a court of law, including an ecclesiastical court (and see subsection (11) below);
ADR
has the same meaning as in Chapter 4 of Part 4 of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024;
consumer contract dispute
has the same meaning as in Chapter 4 of Part 4 of that Act.
damage
means—
foreshore
means the shore and bed of the sea and of any tidal water, below the line of the medium high tide between the spring tides and the neap tides.
land
includes corporeal hereditaments, tithes and rent-charges and any legal or equitable estate or interest therein... but except as provided above in this definition does not include any incorporeal hereditament;
overseas armed forces action
means an action, or cause of action, which—
overseas operations
means any operations outside the British Islands, including peacekeeping operations and operations for dealing with terrorism, civil unrest or serious public disorder, in the course of which members of Her Majesty's forces come under attack or face the threat of attack or violent resistance;
personal injuries
includes any disease and any impairment of a person’s physical or mental condition, and “injury” and cognate expressions shall be construed accordingly;
personal representative
has the same meaning as in section 11 of this Act.
promissory note
has the same meaning as in the Bills of Exchange Act 1882.
relevant person
means—
relevant provision
means—
rent
includes a rentcharge and a rentservice;
rentcharge
means any annuity or periodical sum of money charged upon or payable out of land, except a rent service or interest on a mortgage on land;
the commencement date
means the day on which section 135 of the Building Safety Act 2022 came into force.
the court
means the court in which the action has been brought.
the relevant date
means—
the section 11 relevant date
means the latest of the following— (a) the date from which the period of three years starts to run in accordance with section 11(4) or (5);
the section 12 relevant date
means the latest of the following— (a) the date from which the period of three years starts to run in accordance with section 12(2);
theft
includes— and references in this section to a chattel being “stolen” shall be construed accordingly.
third party proceedings
means any proceedings brought in the course of any action by any party to the action against a person not previously a party to the action, other than proceedings brought by joining any such person as defendant to any claim already made in the original action by the party bringing the proceedings.