VALUATIONS ATTACKED

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 623, 27 March 1929, Page 11

VALUATIONS ATTACKED

CITY ASSESSMENT COURT SEVERAL REDUCTIONS MADE I The City Assessment Court under the chairmanship of Mr. K. c. Cutten i S.M.. was continued in Auckland this morning - . An objection was made by the AuckI land Bowling Club to a valuation of ! £376, which was the same as last year, jNo objection was raised last year owing to the death of the treasurer causing the matter to be overlooked. The club’s representative stated that the site was useless for commercial purposes, being 50 feet below road level. It was practically a public utility and beauty spot. Mr. P. F. Notley gave his valuation of the site as £2O a foot, as against the club valuation of £lO. Mr. Cutten decided to split the difference and make the amount £3lO. CHAIRMAN SUSPICIOUS T always feel suspicious when I see a jump from £IBO to £263 unless there is some obvious reason for it.” remarked Mr. Cutten in reducing a valuation from £263 to £200.4 The case was one concerning a leasehold property near Civic Square held by .T. T. Julian and Sons. The company’s representative pointed out that the valuation had been doubled in five years, and this year’s increase was equal to 44 per cent. WORKERS’ DWELLINGS On behalf of a buyer of one of the council’s workers’ dwellings at Grey Lynn, Mr. Fotheringhum objected to an increased valuation of £l, from £4l to £42. He said the buyers had made a bad bargain, and it was not fair that they should be rated as if they had made a good one. The situation was such, and the houses had deteriorated in five years to such an extent that the rates should be down to £39. Mr. Notley said that in spite of many houses being unoccupied, and having been costly, he had done his best with them. The sections had been kept down, but the buildings had cost so much as to load the properties. The tenant said the house was cracking inside and was so damp that some rooms could not be used. The valuation was reduced to £4l. j “CRUCIFIXION” “We don’t mind paying a fair thing, but we don’t want to be crucified.” said the representative of Wingate and Co. respecting their shop opposite the Post Office. lie said the valuation had gone up from £1,300 to £1.600, while in 10 years it had been doubled. The shop was on a. harbour lease for which the ground rent was £2 a week, while the city wanted to put the rent at £4O. The business could not stand that now. Mr. .Cutten decided to leave the valuation at £1,300. (Proceeding.)