THE RATING ACT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume II, Issue 44, 27 January 1880, Page 2

THE RATING ACT.

An important amendment of" The Rating Act, 1876," was made during last session. As our readers are aware the Act of 1876 confers power upon the various local bodies working under its provisions to sell property, where claims for rates are unsatisfied, due notice being given of intention to do so. The amending Act of last session refers principally to this feature of the law, and the alteration made is, in the conferring of power to let the land, instead of selling it. The same preliminaries have to be gone through as under the old Act viz., six months, notice of intention to let must be given, and if at the end of that time the rates (with 15 pci' cent interest from the time they became due) and all costs, are unpaid, the local body may cause the property to be let by public auction. After the claims of the local body for rates, interest; and Court costs have been satisfied, the balance of the money is to be handed over to the Public Trustee, to be held by him until a claim is proved to the amount, When he must pay it over to the applicant, with 5 per cent interest added. No property so dealt with may be let for a longer period than fourteen years, but the local body may fix two or more alternative periods, in which case the property must be offered for letting first for the shortest term, when, if tho necessary amount to clear off the debts is not offered, the other \terni3 in succession must be submitted. A form is provided for the lease, which must be signed by the Chairman of the local body and two other members, the signatures being attested by the cleric. The property, when so leased, will be vested in the lessee " as fully and effectually as if the person for the time being having the said property vested in him for an inheritance in fee simple in possession, and entitled to the immediate possession of the said property, had, for valuable consideration and by deed duly executed, demised the same to tho lessee, his executors, administrators, and assigns for the said term."' The lease may be registered as in the case of .an ordiuary transaction, and the lessee is liable for all rates accruing during his lease in respect of the property. The above are the chief provisions of the Act as regards the letting of land to pay rates due upon it. AYe have thought it desirable to place the district at ouce in possession of the information contained in this article. It is well known that owing to the difficulty of discovering the-owners of propei'ties, rates are in many cases uucollectcd, and a great loss thus entailed upon the various local bodies. The Act we are now considering affords a comparatively simple remedy for this. If property in the district fails to contribute its full share to the revenue for improvements, it may be leased, and the amount raised in that way. We remind the local bodies, however, that they can recover, only amounts which are not more than two years overdue. The present year is about expiring, and every rateowner who has not paid up for 1877---1878 should be at once sued, preparatory to the exercise of the power to 'let.