Let the soluble-by-finite group G = AB = AC = BC be the product of two nilpotent subgroups A and B and a subgroup C. It is shown that, if G has finite abelian section rank and C is hypercentral (hypercyclic), then G is hypercentral (hypercyclic). Moreover, if G is an L 1-group and C is nilpotent, then G is nilpotent.