INCREASE OF £200 ALLOWED

Chronicle (Levin), 10 September 1947, Page 4

INCREASE OF £200 ALLOWED

fRnpe.iaT to "Chronicle")

COURTS DECISION ON VALUE OF LEVIN FARM

PALM. NTH., Sept. 10. The Land. Saies Court in Palmerston- North yesterday dealt with an appeal by Clifford Adkin for permission to sell a farm of 277 acres, 2 roods, 28 perches, situated at East Levin, to. Albert 'Owen Poad, an exserviceman, the consideration asked beiiig £6108 17s. The valuation of the vendor's assessor was £5713 (70 cows) and the Crown's valuation was £4488 (40 cows and 200 ewes) . The basic value fixed by the Land Saies. Committee was £4600. Judge Archer presided and associated with him on the bench were Messrs. W. E. Scott and W. Stew- . art. Mr. W. J. Beveridge handled the case for the Crown and. Mr. D. P. •Todd appeared for the vendor. . Adkin, in eviden.ee, stated that he had bought the land from his father in 1923 for £14 10s per acre He purchased the land ultimately in 1942 at £10 per acre, and he gave evidence of , the improvements he had effected. When he took over the land it had been used as a sheep farm and at that time was divided into only four paddocks. He had set about making it into a .dairy farm, and ploughed it, fenced it and built a shed and cottage. Ola'f Roy Jepson, farmer, of Ohau East, gave further "evidence of the improvements carried out, and said that as a dairy farm it could start with a carrying capacity of 60 cows, ultimately increasing to about 70 or 80. The valuer for the Crown, Mr. W. G. Lyons, said that he had valued the property as a mixed farm, and that its, difficulty of access and the absence of electricity had assisted him to reach the decision. The vendor pad undoubtedly done a great deal of work to improve the farm, but it had never been farmed in the manner the vendor had suggested. The real issue was the carrying capacity as the method of farming was not important, said Judge Archer, delivering the decision on the case. He said that the committee was justified in accepting Mr. Lyon's budget as a basis for the valuation of the land, but because he thought the committee might have been a little more generous in allowing for the improvements effected, the committee's decision on the basic value was varied from £4600 to £4800.