Property Tax.—A Curious Case.

Patea Mail, 19 May 1881, Page 3

Property Tax.—A Curious Case.

At New Plymouth, on the 16th inst., Mr Crombie, Deputy Land Tax Commissioner, sued Mr Lewthwaite for amount of Property Tax on land valued at £6,230. Mr Lewthwaite appeared, and objected to pay the tax on the ground that he was not in possession of the land. Mr Crombie said the defendant had been taxed on the return he had sent in. Mr Lewthwaite deposed : X sent in a return of all land claimed by me, representing a total of £6,280. That amount included sections 46 to 52, block 7, at Waimate Plains. Those sections had been illegally taken possession of by the Government and sold to other persons without my consent. I objected to pay the. tax, first because the land was not in my possession, and secondly because the person at present in occupation of the land had already paid the tax. In cross-examination it was shown the Board of Revisers had overruled Mr Lewthwaite’s objection. Mr Crombie professed to know nothing about the land further than what was stated in Mr Lewthwaite’s return, upon which the property had been assessed, and for which Mr Crombie claimed the tax, notwithstanding that Government had sold the land to which Mr Taewthwaite laid claim. Mr Crombie also claimed expenses.

The magistrate said his duty was clear. The Government had not sustained Mr Lewthwaite’s objection, and judgment must be given for the amount claimed and costs.