Court of Reviewers.

Manawatu Herald, 2 June 1892, Page 2

Court of Reviewers.

Wednesday, Ist June. Present Messrs Manson and Dunk. The following objection to the Assessment of the Awahou Biding of the Manawatu County ware heard , Pascal Brothers, J, L. Oliver and W. Mitchell were called but did not appear. Edwin Ashby appeared and objected to the valuation of his late property at Motoa which was valued at £620 The previous three years the valuation was £423 and it had not increased. He had done £100 worth of improvements since. Three months ago he had offered the property at £550. By Mr Bell — Had arranged for sale of property at £600. Mr Bell said he would accept a slight reduction on the value of improvements . The Court decided to reduce the valuation to £600. These were all the objections to the valuation of the Awahou Riding. The following objections were heard against tbe A ssessment of the Borough of Foxton. Mr James Linton the Assessor was in attendance. The Bank of Australasia. Mr E. Nixon appeared and objected to the valuation of £600. The actual valuation had been agreed to, but the bank wanted the improvements increased and the land decreased, The land was valued at £90 more than the bank valued it. Mr Linton said in some cases it did not matter how the property was divided. The bank evidently wanted to increase improvements. In this case he had started at the value for the land, the site was one of the most valuable in Foxtou, and he put the land at £250 and desired to see the value retained. The Court decided to uphold the valuation. Staples & Co., W. Brambloy, J. E. Nathan, James Taylor, F. M. O[livier, W. G. Turnbull and W. Buller were called but did not appear. Bank of New Zealand Estates Co., represented by Mr T. Wilson, objected to the valuation of section 495- and 436, in the Borough of Foxton. Mr Wilson said the sections contain 80 acres on which the homestead is placed. They are fully improved as far as they can be, being light sandy soil. They have been valued at £900, and was willing to accept the value, but he wanted the improvements increased. Mr Linton said he had no objection to allow an alteration as long as the total was sustained. Mr Wilson said he piit the valuation as a whole at £900, the improvements £710 the unimproved value at £190. The Court allowed the alteration. The sections 538 and 534 at £2195 containing 389 acres were next considered. Mr Wilson said it was mostly unimproved was partially drained and very liable to flood. His valua* tion was £1019. £500 had been allowed for improvements which he accepted. The yearly rental was £51 for local purposes. He desi.ied the valuation to be altered. By Mr Linton— The land was not worth £5 an acre except as part of the Motoa estate. On its own merits it was not worth £5 an acie. It was very liable to flood. Mr Linton said the sections were not valued individually but in relation to one whole. He also said that if the land was not worth £5 an acre, he had made a mistake with other sections, as he had put other people's property at a higher estimate. Mr Wilson asked that his value at £1019 should be accepted with £691 for improvements. Mr Linton called Mr Gibson who said be put the land at £5 to £6 an acre. Mr Wilson called Mr Gibson and desired to know that if he thought that was a price for the land how he came to make the lower valuations for the Borough. Mr Gibson replied that he desired to keep all valuations low and two years ago he had drawn Mr Wilson's attention that the valuation was too low. The Court decided to uphold the valuation. Mr Wilson said that he wished to remark that it was a very hard case, The next objection taken was to section 251 containing 72 acres. Mr Wilson said this Avas a fully improved section and his valuation was £8 an acre.and the unimproved value was £218. The allowance was only £200 for improvements and the

whole had been valued at £10 an acre. The valuer had made the ad» joining section only £7 an acre and it was exactly the same as the one objected to, except as to position which he had allm™- 3 *- ' ...wu we Dy £1 att acre. The land was originally swampy bush, it was all felled, grassed and drained. Mr Linton had no objection to raise the improvements, but the 72 acres he had placed at £10 an acre. If the reclaimed Motoa swamp was not equal to bush land round Palmerston the estate had been over valued by everjone. He would allow the improvements at £862 so long as the original total was not altered* The Court decided to raise the improvement by £162 and leave the total unaltered. The next sections were No 257 and 258 containing 218 acres. Mr Wilson said the valuer and himself agreed to total value but not enough had been allowed for improvements. He put the improvements at £743, leaving unimproved value £783 instead of £1156 as stated by the valuev. Mr Linton agreed to this alteration and the Court permitted it.