ARREARS OF COUNTY RATES.

Shannon News, 20 March 1925, Page 2

ARREARS OF COUNTY RATES.

TO BE SUED FOR UNLESS PAID. OVER £7OOO OUTSTANDING. The question of the collection ol outstanding rates which has been before the Horowhenua County Council for some time past, was again discussed at length at last Saturday's meeting, when the chairman (Cr. G. A. Monk) read the following statement, showing the rates outstanding to date:— ARREARS. x

Outstanding 13/3/25 2,780 923 3,704 (Shillings and pence *are omitted). As would be seen from these figures, continued the chairman, an amount of £5313 0s Sd had been collected of (be total outstanding rates as at the 31st March, 1924, leaving £13724 10s 9d, still outstanding. It would be seen therefore that the position showed considerable improvement, but the time was arriving when the Council must take some definite action to clear up the whole matter. Adjacent local bodies had m t been nearly so lenient and had sued (hiring the past few years. It wi uld be much better to take some definite act-, ion in the matter. Certain proceedings had been taken up to date: the County clerk had been given discretionary powers to make arrangements with those whose rates were outstanding, but it was time lie was given the official backing of the Council in any action he might, find it necessary to take. In some instances people had come -along in answer to a demand for rates, and had stated that they were not in a position to pay at once. In tUese cases arrangements had been made, to have the arrears paid off by instalments. There were other, less satisfactory cases where a certain amount was being paid off, but not sufficient to keep ahead of the current year’s rates, so that these people were actually going back. He would move the following resolution. “That where rates were (Outstanding after March 31st, 1925, and where satisfactory arrangements for payment. had not been made, legal proceedings be instituted for their recove-, ”

'1 lie collection of cu.' cut labs to date Iliad been fairly sulisla- ;oiy compared with former years, said the chairman, but that was not good enough. The write-off of overdue rates, owing tp the slump would be fairly heavy this year, butt this had to be laced. His proposal, Cr. Monk, concluded, would include outstanding soldier settler rates as well as others. Cr. Harkness asked lor a definite explanation of the chairman’s proposal. Did he mean that the current year’s rates would be sued for, as well as those which were longer outstanding? 1-ie thought that this was rather drastic and that the back rates might be sued for before the present year’s amount. Considering that nothing of the sort had ever been done before it seemed rather hard. The chairman: That’s the trouble. That is wlia.t has left us in our present position. Cr. Broad.belt: l think with Cr. Harkness. The people who have not paid their 1954-25 rates are heavily enough dealt with through having to pay the extra 10 per cent. I think that the back rates only should be sued for.

Cr. Jensen said tibat he did not see that the Council could do otherwise than support the motion as it stood. A great many had paid their rates regularly for years, who were not in any better position than many of the defaulters.. There were many shirkers, and it was not for the Council in go around and hud out which llwse were. The only lllibg lllO’t,milled could do was to treat all alike. The chairman explained that the term “current year’s rate” was really incorrect. The rate which was spoken of, was that struck for the term April

Ist, 1924, to April Ist, 1925, and was overdue after that date. The position was, continued the speaker, that if the Council could guarantee each year- to collect the whole of the rates struck, it would be able to materially reduce the rate, throughout the County. The action of the Council up-to-date, bad not been fair to the ratepayers as a whole. There v’as a saving clause in the resolution he was moving mid

that was contained in the words—“where satisfactory arrangements had not been ii\ade.” T'hev had to be fair to everybody. If people who

owed, rates would not come in and make satisfactory arrangements then the Council could not make fish of one and flesh of another.' There were a number of people who owed rates, and although they had been notified time after time, had just gone on and ignored the Council. They did not, say they could pay, nor that they could not pay. If they would omy come along and make an offer, even if it were only a few pounds per month, the Council would be willing to consider it, provided the rates were being reduced. Where this was not done, however, they must take legal. proceedings. Cr. Broadhelt: On more’ than one occasion we have given our collector instructions to take legal proceedings. The onairman; We have never done anything so drastic as I now propose. /

Cr. Broadbelt; I am quite in accordance with the proposal to sue for rates, but not for this year’s rates. The chairman: Well, I am quite wfiling to take an amendment. * Cr. Harkness protested against undue severity. It was quite necessary that the outstanding rates should be got in, but he would like to see more grace gtven to, the man who only owed one year’s rates. Some ratepayers owed four years’ rates and the former should not be put in the same category as these people. The chairman: It would not be. busi-ness-like. We will only have the same trouble over again. Cr. Ryder supported the chairman’s action. It would be a fine thing to be able to go to the ratepayers and say that they could reduce the rates. If New Zealand had not had a very good year, he would not support the motion, but he felt that many ratepayers were spending their money on non-essentials and making no endeavour to reduce their liability to tite Council. Cr. Whyte said that he took it that if a defaulting ratepayer came in and asked for time in which to pay his rates, this would be granted. The County Clerk (Mr F. H. Hudson) said that in many instances where he had approached ratepayers lor outstanding rates, these had come to him and made an offer. Tills was all right. But if they allowed things to drift on indefinitely, it often came about that the land changed hands, and. then there were all sorts ol’ trouble. If people came to him and made any reasonable offer, he was quite willing to accept it. He might say that even now, most of the work of. the office staff was taken up with recording payments of Bus sort.

The chairman said that every mart who was in arrears, with his rates would, be notified of the fact, and also that the Council intended to take action if they were not paid. When the solicitors were given the matter to deal with, further notice was sent out. He would like to draw the Council’s attention tp the action of one man —well known to councillors—who had taken no notice of demands for rates for years, but as soon as the matter was placed in the, hands of the solicitors, lie could find the money. Cr. Harkness protested "that some consideration should be. shown to the man who had paid his rates every year to date, but found for some reason or other that he could hot do so Mi is year. Such a man would ieel justly indignant if sued for the rates. The chairman said that there was nothing' unreasonable in the Council’s proposals. They must not allow the piling-up of arrears to become a policy of the Council. Cr. Broadbelt. Then 1 unds‘Stand that if tliis motion is carried, every man who owes money to the County Council will be sued.

The chairman; We are not going to sue a man if we know that we cannot get the money. But there is always the land, and we can get it from the mortgagees. The position is that it is not the man who may own the land—it is the land itself that we rate. It does not matter who may be the owner for the time being. The fact must be kept in mind that most of these farms are loaded with special rates for one purpose or another, and at present much of the Council’s money is ;iaken up with paying interest on these loans, which the rates were meant to cover. There is no need to sympathise with the mortgagee. The mortgagee understands that if he allowed the rates to, get into arrears, lie is himself liable.

Cr. Harkness: Could we not pass a resolution that we sue for rales which are more than twelve months’ overdue. Tlie chairman: I think we had better not fool around w.ith this matter, i fancy we will all give a sigh of relief when it has been finally settled. Cr. Harkness: I would like to move an amendment. Hie chairman: It will come to the same thing if I put the motion. If that is not carried you can move another more suitable. The mtftion was then put and carried on the voices, Cr. Harkness demanded a division on the question of whether the 1924-25 year’s rates should be sued for, this resulting as follows:—For; Crs. Jensen, Bryant, Whyte, Barber, Ryder, and Monk., Against; Crs. Broadbelt and Harkness.'

A Wanganui farmer states that the present season had been a wonderful one for clover growth. On a property situated at Kai iwi the clover had come on to such an extent that it was choking out the rye grass. He had put down a lawn, and, as a result of top-dressing with lime, had. practically a clover lawn.

“That shows the power of advertising,” said the Chairman of the Ashburton Power Board when referring to the board’s loan -of £IOO,OOO (reports the Guardian). The applications for debentures tyere coming in very slowly, he said, and the board decided to advertise tbe loan. This was done on January 29, and on February 12 the loan w-as fully subscribed.

On account, of the infantile paralysis epidemic, it has been decided to abandon the Oroua Dotvns sports meeting.

1923-24 22-23 Ti. £ £ £ Outstanding 31/3/1924 5441 3595 9037 Collected 3624 1688 5813 Outstanding 13/3/1925 1817 1907 3724 CURRENT RATES. Tokoma.ru Riding: Gen. Spec Tl. £ £ £ Levied 1924-25 2794 1446 4240 Collected 2508 1298 3806 Outstanding 13/3/1925. 285 147 433 NVirokino Riding: £ £ £ Levied 1924-25 7030 2696 9727 Collected 5666 2180 7846 Outstanding 12/3/1925 1364 516 1881 Otaki Riding: £ £ £ Levied 1924-25 1909 312 2222 Collected ...I486 305 1792 Outstanding 13/3/1925 422 7 429 Te Horo Riding: £ / £. £ Levied 1924-25 3321 812 4134 Collected 2614 559 3174 ’ Outstanding 13/3/1925 707 252 959 TOTAL CURRENT RATES LEVIED AND COLLECTED TO MARCH, 1925. Gen. Spec. Total. £ £ £ Levied 1924-25 15,056 5267 20,224 Collected 1 2,276 4 144 16,620