COMPENSATION COURT.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume V, Issue 426, 20 August 1880, Page 2

COMPENSATION COURT.

;A : Compensation ■ Court, was held on Wednesday last, at the Resident Magistrate's Court, to consider a cl!aim for compensation against the Akaroa and Wainui Road Board for damage done to. Mr McNeil's land, French Farm, to the extent of£4o: : ' '' '■•" ;! pv ' :

m Messrs Tosswill and Knight took their seat on the Bench. Mr C. W. Bridge conducted the case for the plaintiff, and Mr Nalder appeared for; the defendants.

Mr Bridge, in opening the ca&e, stated i that a gross amount had been set down, , which included not only the actual amount for the extent of land \fhich had been usurped by the Road Board, but also the damage likely to ensue owing to the' manner in which the excavations under Mr McNeil's land had been : made. Hβ urged that through the state in which the land was at present, several large slips might be looked tor at any time. He further stated that several claims hack already been made to the Board,,and that that body had refused to acknowledge any liability whatever.

Mr Wilkins being called, stated that the plan handed in by Mr Bridge, on which an encroachment of twenty, perches was shown, was correct, and that the twenty perches only included the land actually taken from the plaintiff ; also, that more slips on the land might be expected.

Several other witnesses were called on both sides, but the evidence on behalf of the defendants went chieily to prore that the claim had not been put in in proper time according to the 74th section of the Act. ■ :.<■;: : ' .; ' ' "* ;

In summing up, Mr Bridge stated that he had, on behalf of his client, estimated the damage done and the land encroached upon at a gross'sum, and he thought the amount claimed very fair. He would further draw the attention of the Bench to the fact that the former owners of the land had some five years back sent in a similar claim.

After a quarter of an hour's adjournment to consider the case, Mr W. B. Tosswill, the Chairman, gave judgment ior plaintiff for the amount of £5 and costp, whilst his colleague, Mr A. C. Knight, dissented.