The Feilding Star. WEDNESDAY, JULY 26. 1882. THE RATING AC. 1882.

Feilding Star, Volume III, Issue 12, 26 July 1882, Page 2

The Feilding Star. WEDNESDAY, JULY 26. 1882. THE RATING AC. 1882.

The above is the ticUf ofj^tjHl introduced by the ColoniirnTreasurpr, and repeals the Rating- Act of 1870^ with its amendments. an,d has. amonp; its objects, the' following ': It proposes to impose on the Property Tax Corn- i missioner the duty of fUf : n ) fsiiiug l every ! local body iv the Colony with a valu-ation-roll, which shall be in force three years. 'J him .sh*hj*e 'fßl\ftvtoig/so6a.h bodies of a con'sideraSle* ekp'efcste, wt'V of course involve the Property lax Department assessing and entering on its rolls, all real property in the Colony, including that belonging to persons who are exempt from the property r - A*.ab>e .depsu&menp is aU ready c corrtpeiletf -to" enquirt into tbe~ ownership of all the land in the Colony, the extra labor proposed by the Bill will not be great, anflVili' tfkte important that valuations of property on which local taxation is levied should be uniform, ihis is of course more likely to be tVe case lf tfieWal-U-. ations are made tin dfer onG-depannaent:-Katepayers will have the protection of an appeal to the Property Tax Reviewers, and, in addition to- appealing they can take advantage of the provisions of sections 14 to 10 of the Property Asselggi&i^ Afcttf Igps by which if more ftrtfti -ffhe^ownei* thinks fair, he can on certain conditions insist upon the Government purchasing the property at their own valuation, Government, on the other hand, being protected from unfairly low estimates the right of purchasing at his own estimate, £10 per cent added. Another change made by the Bi}^ -;js, that the valuation will be the capital value of the property. The qannjial#vatj}e of 'uffiprAvedl Jtrdjjjertj* fbtalin^ a fait pro^ortimrtof its c^pitil value, as to most classes of unimproved prop^r.ty 4r t%JWJauaL jtalua^ comparatively Speaking nomfual. The present system, therefore, appears unduly to favor unimproved properties, which are just the class which ought to pay the jJHrt>s*t tetefe >a nised by the Bill, that certain local bodies should make their valuations themselves, and it is d.e.si ruble, as for as fpOß^l^, ft) 'mkki the 1 \f ista/dl* the settlers in each locality, where such wishes can be gra rifled without interjerwrgj w^thTtJle_^esitesi_of pers^mijn other districts. Therefore if any local body decides to make its own valua tions it will be supplied l^v^hAUdov perty lax Commission with the roll as in other cases, save that the column for rateable va]pie\w^fy be 'i left! i^Hii^k. The local body will appoint a valuer, who must give notice to each ratepayer what, vjajue |be pr^ppaes^OipJacp on his property. The ratepayer has fourteen days to appeal before , the ( .Resident Magistrate. Ihe rolls'wilibe revised annually, to make necessary changes in the names of owners ami occupiers. The value also can^be^.altered •Wn'ere' tfis aflfccrerf 1 by Hai aSmtion or destruction of buildings. The power of local bodiejClSOt§iiisl«&& not extend to Crown lands or Native lands. Two or more local bodies-m«y-employ one collector, and include all their rates iji resfect f k djf orfejjpropertj! in one demand, v trVid Mso adopt the valuation of one bouv. 1 herefore all the Koad Boards in aX*<Onlty-cisl arrange to permit the County Council to make the valuation, or, on the other hand, the County Cou'ttctl'co'ufti adopt the Road Board valuation. This power would ofte^be^|)U^ The provisions for making up the ratebook and striking a raieare the same-as at present, save the rate-book shows owner's name, a^wkUlafe '*thift.Af//ccn«i pier Kates will be recoverable much | as ut-ual, except that form of derrrariTt I prescribed, ai:d iho right to recover "dppendsnipon^t!r<.e'.n|iiid hciiftr nitdf. Tie onen'er, 4nil (,->d£t%r pevsrm w*ifh any interest in *he property, and nlso first mortgaire<, sire *£lKfia»le» > if' 1 Jin "' the h'rsf, upon (lem:ind being duly made, to j,<].y rutep, tliough rhe"occu~ pier is primarily liable. If an owner is. made- to pay rates,, he in ay. re'c<<ver from the occupier, u mess he hu^-.cojy.r., tr»qte<) to tie cppW'iiny, ; If miyiutfaeri person i« mj>dr> to pu>y rates 1 lie may recover 'mm the owner or the occupier.. If a. iiKirCiiage^ hiis to : pa^ ( ratesj such payniH.iit becomes part, .uf the jirincipal monies due on the mortgage, ami .carry interest .accordingly,,, though li.- may recover from the mort. gagor. 'li'i.e iiownrs ni lesising 1 oi*'sel- j iing for jitjit-p.*y mt-iiT. of isites aie vested in the I'ub.ic i ntirt.ee-. ' Tfl«

pincd^bf' is as^wJ° ws wT-'f rioes are j m>T ].}ii^l witj)#six moiyH? afte«jiidtnfcl .^|oilj m^y iffriice »(} th«Public v ll ifrastjii wii^i 'PQePQulial VnMP^^^Jr l W»eiiCvlfe theTr informs the^parties r interested that unless the amount wiih costs and interest at 10 per cent PGrjty/wjl^ Ije ap;i(il <tf )e:}k<*itf,\N.i<li-so-paid, kecai> tl»«n-«eW or-V«*a»ev as ivn.de.r- the present Acs. Ihe publicTrustee has no option to refuse (|n sell or lease; but if he prefers it, he may pay the rates him«elf. and take the fntere^fo^ bis own department, his riffht to sell or lease ultimately "o | recoup himself being: still preservedJ The Trustee may thus prevent! ihe i sacrifice of" a property. Kates jinny not be recovered two years after they, are due, but this <iocs not bar pro 1 c^di^s"s^b)ieqTie^t"to judgment. The i aT)ove is a fair synopsis of the Bill, to 1 which we shall recur in a future issue.