KEEN RESENTMENT

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 11, Issue 31, 21 May 1947, Page 5

KEEN RESENTMENT

EX-SOLDIERS AND SECTIONS CRITICAL LOCAL MEETING Resolutions which may have a big. effect on the Land Sales Court in its present form were approved at a meeting held in the County Council Chambers last night. The meeting had as its foundation the alleged unfair treatment at the hands of the > Court of the owners of building sections and consequently a number of ex-servicemen who comprised most of those present at the meeting. Mr N. Hockin presided. The sections primarily concerned were a block in McGarvey’s Road owned by Mr N. Carter. These' had been offered. at the price of £IOO with a 10 per cent, discount to exservicemen. The ruling of the Court had been £6O. It was towards the alleged uselessness of the Act and the incompetency of the valuer that the meeting was directed. Following are the resolutions:—

If a suitable response was not forthcoming as a result of these representations it was decided to take further, steps at a later date. 1. That it is the opinion of this meeting that the Government valuer for the Whakatane area is inefficient and should be replaced, preferably by a qualified ex-serviceman. 2. That it is the opinion of this meeting that the Land Sales Committee operating in the Whakatane area is incapable of judging whether valuations are fair or otherwise.

3. That it is the opinion of this meeting that the Land Sales Court gave scant consideration to the appeal in question and gave a hasty decision.

4. That it is the opinion of this meeting that the Crown Representatives of the’ Land Sales Court' in future be instructed that it is their duty to be impartial observers of proceedings and not backers of . Government valuers, who it appears, set the lowest values.

5. That it is the opinion of this meeting that the Government representative of the Land Sales Committee misled the Court when drawing comparative values of recent sales in the area under discussion.

6. That it is the opinion of this meeting that as long as the Government is going to peg values of dwellings at 1942 values it is going to .force sellers to break the law and cash buyers will be the only ones who can complete sales, thereby giving ex-servicemen the buying under Rehabilitation loans no chance of competing. 7 7. That it is the opinion of this meeting that the Servicemen’s Settlement and Land Sales Act of 1943 be renamed, and the honoured name of “Servicemen” be not used to screen an act that has caused more law breaking than any other and which is now followed by one which encourages pimps and skunks. 8. That it is the opinion of this meeting that future appointments to the Land Sales Court in this area be non-political. 9. That it is the opinion of this meeting that the length of time taken for the Land Sales Court to hear cases and that taken by the Court to hear an appeal is causing undue hardship because of the fact that the cost of building is steadily rising to unreasonable proportions. 10. That it is the opinion of this meeting that the Government be pressed to enquire into valuations made locally by the Government valuer and to test valuations by sending a competent independent valuer to check his work.

Copies of the above resolutions, besides being handed to the press are to be forwarded to the Prime Minister and the Minister of Rehabilitation.