ASSESSMENT COURT FOR THE BOROUGH OF AKAROA.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 2, Issue 176, 26 March 1878, Page 2

ASSESSMENT COURT FOR THE BOROUGH OF AKAROA.

Friday, March 22.

(Before Justin Aylrner, Esq., Judge.)

The Town Clerk, Mr A. I. McGregor, appeared on behalf of the Council to oppose the objections.

There being no appearance of Mr Alger, the objection forwarded in his name was dismissed.

Mr R. Bailey appeared in support of his objeotion to the assessment on four cottages belonging to him, fronting on Lavaud-street. The Town Clerk urged that 10s a week was a fair valued rental for each, and that with the legal deductions the Judge would see that the assessment was not excessive ; on the contrary, that, in the case of the two cottages standing back from the road, they had been undervalued to the amount, of £2. This amount he would now ask the Court to add to the value already assessed. The Judge agreed with Mr McGregor, and ordered that the valuation be increased £2.

Mr H. N. Citron objected by letter to the valuation of his shop, garden, and dwelling-house, at £45, on the grounds that he only paid £40 pc? , annum for rent. The Town Clerk reminded the Court of the valuable business site occupied by the objector, the excellence of ihf garden and dwelling-house, &c. arguments which did not seem to bo self-evident with Mr Citron. The Court decided to grant the objection, and the property was accordingly assessed at £38.

An objection was read from Mr J. O'Brion to his property in Balguerie-street being assessed at £30. The Town Clerk took exception, as the signature was not in the handwriting , of the objector, contrary to clause lfi of the " Rating Act, 1876." The Judge dismissed the objection.

Jane Kearney appeared to support her written objection to the valuation of her property in Bnlg-uerie-street at £35, and stated that last year she had only been assessed at £25. The Town Clerk drew the Court's attention to the improvements that had been made to the house, making it now one of the most comfortable and neat lodging-houses in Akaroa. The Court decided to entertain the objection, and decreased the valuation to £32.

Mr W. Sims objected by letter to the valuation of his house and garden at £25. He instanred in support of his objection, other properties far superior to his, and to which there were good roads, whereas he had no road accommodation, which had been assessed at almost the same value. The Town Clerk endeavoured to show that the valuation was a fair one, but the Judge decided to entertain the objection, which was accordingly lessened to £20 16s.

There was no appearance of Mr G-. Lacoste or Mr J. F. Roberts, in support of their objections, which were accordingly dismissed.

Mr J. Beecher objected to being assessed separately for the Rtables and lumber-room, wrongly termed in the valuation roll a cottago attached to Bruce's Hotel. He explained that he paid rent for the whole block ; that the building called a cottage was never rented, but only used as a kind of storeroom ; also that the stables were not rented, and were indispensable to his business. The Town Clerk pointed out that the stables and the building assessed as a cottage were on a different section to the hotel and garden, and were accordingly assessed separately. The Judge decided that they were merely the necessary out-buildings to the hotel, and accordinglj r struck out the amount on the valuation roll. The Court then adjourned.