RATES ON EMPTY HOUSES!

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 849, 18 December 1929, Page 8

RATES ON EMPTY HOUSES!

NORTHCOTE COUNCIL TO MAKE TEST CASE UNIMPROVED VALUES The legality of a claim for remission of half rates on a house unoccupied for six months, where the' rating is bae-ed on the unimproved values, is to be tested by the Northcote Borough Council. This concession, in the council’s opinion, applies only to where capital and annual values are the basis of rating. _ As this question is of vital interest to all local bodies, the council has sought the legal aid of the New Zealand Municipal Association. The Auckland firm of solicitors who represent the ratepayer in question have written as follows: Before we can go into the details of the proposed action, we desire to ascertain whether it can be brought on a basis satisfactory to our client in regard to the question of costs. If our client consents to being cited as defendant, the most he can expect to gain in the e\ent of a decision in his favour is less «.han £l2, but in either event his own costs would greatly exceed this sum. Our client has been under the impression that the Municipal Association would obtain at its own expense the desired decision in the matter, in view of the importance of the issue to all its members. Mr. J. O’Shea, solicitor to the association, replies as follows: Two points are raised—that all costs a , expenses incurred by the defendant should be paid by the plaintiff; and that the decision of the Supreme Court should be accepted as final. Neither of these suggestions is acceptable to the Municipal Association. I will, therefore, have to recommend the Northcote Borough to proceed to sue in the ordinary way. Commenting on the correspondence the Mayor, Mr. A. E. Greenslade, remarked last evening that if they acceded to the request they would j have every ratepayer experimenting i with the validity of the by-laws. ! The town clerk was instructed to j issue a summons claiming the full l amount of rates.