THE ASSESSMENT COURT.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2160, 8 April 1908, Page 2

THE ASSESSMENT COURT.

[To TIIB EniTon.] Sir,—l should Tory much liko to j ask your permission to j>ut my ca«o j before the ratepayers of Gisborne, j and the result of my appeal to the Assessment Court, as against what. 1 consider un iniquitous and. unjuntiliable rise in itho rental value of my property at tho Point. In the first place I may stnlo that I am not nc- , tinted by any feelings of hostility to j the Borough Valuer, Mr Robinson, . whom 1 feel proud to call friend, but j simply object to tlio system allowed I by the Council and the haphazard | wav valuations are made. These are t against all reason or good business , ideas, bccauso they are made on a > wrong basis and are not equitable to | the ratepayer who dares to build or improve his property. I'Hither than that, it is manifestly unfair to the owner of land who has not for various reasons, iinnroved his property, to find his rates'going up year after vear not bccauso the land is worth so much moi'o, but simply bccauso eomo fharuer comes into the town, finds ho cannot rent a suitable house, and is offered one which lie can buy at the sellers price, which means two or three hundred per cent, more than it cost. The moment the Borough Valuer hears of a sale—without enquiring as to the circumstances or visiting and valuing the propert.v—ho values it at the price it was sold at, and then nuts up all the adjoining properties in sympathy with the prico paid. This, I maintain is a most unfair way oi getting at the rateable value of the properties in the Borough. Tho question is, \\liat is a fair valuation? I mam.aiu a fair valuation is' one -that has stood for years and is held by all business men to be the only correct valuation. Tho one and only ono acknowledged bv the Crown, viz., what a property with all its surroundings, its accessibility or inaccessibility, would realise if offered at auction with tan and reasonable terms and lair competition. For the purposo oi finding that valuation, tho valuer must bo a competent man, who has a thorougli commercial education and a knowledge of tho values of buildings and who would visit every property .and put on each property its own intrinsic value independent of what Jones, Brown, or Robinson gave for his, which, as wo aro all aware,, in many cases aro prices born of sentiment tor site, situation, or locality. hi my case I purchased a property winch was on the market for some time and no buyers; in fact, no tenants either, until ono gentleman offered to take it if certain improvements woro mado and agreed to give £6O per year and take it for one Iho nmrovomo.nts ho required cost £6O. In the face of that, because I gave for sentimental roasons about £2OO more than [ thought it was worth, I am out up from £SO to £7O per year, which is £4 2s Gd per year more rates and £lO ner vear more annual rental than tho property is lot for. I maintain a property for letting purposes cannot he worth moro than it will rent lor, and yet the valuer takes advantage of his knowledge that I paid a certain sum for the property, and rates me at o per cent on tho price paid without any enquiry as to what were the circuinstances under which I purchased or what terms I got for giving the price I paid. Tins will show that, after 1 deduct the rates from tho £6O per vear the property is let for, 1 am not receiving 4 per cent per year for tho investment of my capital, and yet the valuer is the judge of this capital value, and knows that not less than 6 per cent will pay on house property as an investment. Ono woud think by going to the Assessment Court at least- equal justice would be meted cut to tho valuer and to the valued. What is mv case? I appear to object to my valuations, and tho first thing I am asked by the Court, in a most dictatorial manner, is ‘'Where are your witnesses?” I replied that my evidenco was purely as a valuer ot long standing against the value made by 'tho Borough Valuer. After seating my ca6e, I am asked by the valuei what my breatwork cost ; and my replv is, ‘‘That is my business. Considering that the breastwork had noTning to do with tho land or building. 1 considered tho question an impertinent ono, but the Assessment Court evidently thought differently. 1 was told I must not speak that way. In other words, I must answer any impertinent questions tho valuer liked to ask me relative to the. value ot tlio property, and by tlio Court s autocratic mind I must, answer. 1 did answer the question by saving the former proprietor put it up. Without going into the question ot value, or weighing my evidence or hearing evidence as against my sworn evidence as to values, I was told that tho valuation was sustained. I was so struck with' tlio shocking want ot courtesy shown by tlio Assessment Court that I mado this remark : Just what I might have expected by coming to the Assessment Court. . I say this, without fear of contradiction, that I consider tho Assessment Court did not treat me in a judicial manner, and tho remarks made to me by tho Court were unjudicial, unjustifiable, and uncalled for, and it is tho last time I will subject myself to the same insulting remarks which came from the Bench of the- Assessment Court today, or again personally appeal aga- '«* »—* "■'“fSs’siiSfe. April 7, 1908.