MAGISTRATE'S COURT

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2959, 23 December 1916, Page 6

MAGISTRATE'S COURT

9 POLICE CASES. Mr. W. G. Riddell, S.M., presided in the Magistrate's Court yesterday. For insobriety, John M'Laugblan was linod 10s. Thomas O'Brien was fined £3 for comimitting an indecent act in a public street. Richard Henry Smith was fined £3 for using obsceno language. Matthew Shaw was lined £2 for using threatening behaviour in Lambton Quay. ' Thomas Hitchcox, the owner of two horses which were found at large, was fiucd os., with costs 7s. Thomas Colo was fined £2, with costs 75., for motor-cycling round a street corner at inoro than four miles an hour. CIVIL CASE. AN INTERESTING RENT POINT. In the afternoon, His Worship heard au application under the War Legislation Amendment Act, 1016, to cietorlniuo tile capital value of a dwelling hpuso known as No. 5, Lindum Terrace, Oriental Bay, occupicu by Mr. X, .1. Ladd as tenant. ill'. D. 11. lioggard appeared for the tenant and Mr. T. W. Hislop lor the landlords, who are Messrs. G. Winder, Robert Pearson, and Frank Wills. Mr. Hoggard staled that the case was the first taken under the provisions of the Act. Mr. Ladd had, before a rcccut increase in rent, bceu paying 2os. por week for the property iie occupied. The capital value, under tiio last Government valuation (that of March 31, 1913) was £510. Tho Act allowed a rental of 2 per cent, on capital value to bu' charged. Eight per cent, on a capital value of £510 was £40 16s. per year, and the, applicant was paying £65. That was between 12} per cent, and .13 por cent, of £51.0The rent was raised to 305., which amounted to about 15£ per cent., and this ront tho applicant had paid until learning of the provisions 01. the Act. Evidonce was called by tho applicant regarding the. value of tho property in question. Robert Pearson gave evidence lor the defendants. .He thought that 30s. per weok was a very fair rent for such a property. Cross-examined, he stated that he valued the house higher than tho other similar ones in which ho was interested at the same places, tho reason being that it was nearest the kiosk. Re-examined, the witness said that it would cost about £800 to build the house to-day. Tho case was adjourned sine die, tho Court to appoint a valuer for the property, and the tenant to pay 2os. per week pending decision of the case.