REAL PROPERTY ASSESSMENT ROLL NOTICES.

Kumara Times, Issue 2034, 6 March 1883, Page 2

REAL PROPERTY ASSESSMENT ROLL NOTICES.

[to the editor.] Sir—Within the last few days Government have, free of expense, written to each and every burgess in Kumara. Now, this paternal care on the part of the Government is not exactly understood or appreciated .by the citizens of this remote part of the world. But so that there shall be no loss of sleep occasioned, I will briefly explain what the meaning of these epistles are, and what the Legislature intended when passing the “ Rating Act of 1882.” The Property Tax Assessment Act provides that each person shall assess themselves, and provides a penalty if any person undervalues his estate. But, to ascertain whether or not such was the case, Assessors had to be appointed to value the, properties of persons in each provincial district. In making these valuations it was found that they clashed with the valuations made by the various local bodies, and that by the property tax assessment being made available for local bodies it would save each of the local bodies the cost of making an annual valuation and assessment. Therefore, last session Parliament passed the “ Rating Act, 1882.” In the case of Counties the Rate Rolls are compiled from the Assessments made under the “Property Tax Assessment Act; ’ but in the case of boroughs the Rating Act of 1882 is only applicable by the Borough Council passing a resolution as provided by section 58, not later than the Ist of Decernberain any year, such resolution to be forwarded to the Property Tax Commissioner, after which the Valuation Roll for the borough shall be prepared by the Property Tax Commissioner, and be the Valuation Roll of the borough hereafter. The Borough Council of Kumara not having passed such resolution, the Assessment notices are merely waste paper for this year. The only persons directly interested this year are those who are assessed too high, and who, if the Borough Council passed the resolution would next year have to pay on the assessment made this year; for, in accordance with section 37, “ Property Tax Assessment Act, 1879,”- the assessment is only made every three years. The persons, who I believe number nino, who in Kumara pay the property

tax are also affected in this way, that if the value of the properties as assessed by themselves and sent in with their property-tax valuations is less than the assessment made by the Government valuer, then in such cases an objection should be lodged j and the reviewers would have to determine the dispute. In conclusion, I wish to point out the amount assessed is the selling or capital value of the property, and not, as hitherto, under the “Rating Act, 1876,” where the assessment was at the annual or letting value. If the Borough Council had passed the resolution and brought the “Rating Act, 1882,” into force, the amount payable would be fd in the pound ; or, say a property was valued at £IOO, would only pay 6s 3d. At present the same property on the assessment made by the Borough Council would pay £2, and in some cases as much as £3. As I intend to dispute the Borough assessment, I will at present say nothing further. R, J. Seddon. Kumara, March 6, 1883,