(1) At any time within ninety days from the date of the announcement of an assessment the landowner or, where there are more landowners than one, any of them who would be individually or collectively liable for more than half the sum assessed may give notice to the Revenue-officer of refusal to be liable for the assessment.
    (2) When the Revenue-officer receives a notice under sub-section (1), the Collector may take possession of the estate and deal with it, as nearly as may be, as if the annulment of the assessment thereof had been ordered as a process for the recovery of an arrear of land-revenue due thereon.
    (3) While the estate is in the possession of the Collector, the landowner or landowners shall be entitled to receive from the Government an allowance, to be fixed by the Financial Commissioner, which shall not be less than five or more than ten per cent. of the net income realized by the Government from the estate.