STAMPEDE IN COURT

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 908, 27 February 1930, Page 13

STAMPEDE IN COURT

PROPERTY-OWNERS OFFER LANDS MOUNT ALBERT VALUATIONS The stampede which took place at the opening sitting of the Mount Albert Assessment Court yesterday morning occasioned such a confusion in the proceedings as is rarely seen in the course of such deliberations. When the president of the court, Mr. J. G. L. Hewitt, S.M., announced that those objecting property-Qwners who so desired could, in lieu of having their objections heard, offer their lands to the Valuation Department at their own valuations, under Section 45 of the Valuation of Land Act, almost twothirds of the 2QO owners present rushed up in a body to the clerk’s desk to record their names for that purpose. Under this provision the department must buy a property so offered at the owner’s valuation for rating purposes, plus ten per cent., or else reduce its valuation to that amount. There was much talking and questioning, and the proceedings became inaudible. Eventually the president rose and explained that the notice given there and then did not dispense with the necessity of giving formal notice to the Government within 14 days. Also, the reductions demanded would be apportioned between the improvements and the unimproved values. LAST VALUED IN 1926 Mr. W. Cmlcott, district land valuer, who appeared on behalf of the Mount Albert Borough Council, said the borough of Mount Albert was last valued in 1926. Notwithstanding the subsequent fall in values, the department took the view that the 1926 valuation was so reasonable that no reduction .was justified at the present time. He had taken out particulars of all sales of vacant allotments in the borough since the date of the adoption of those valuations, and the list showed sales totalling £99,000, the Government valuation of which was £77,000. Many of the objectors had- objected to the increase in rates, which in 1926 were based on capital values, and amounted to 2id in the pound. The ratepayers had authorised loans amounting to £300,000, and approximately £IOO,OOO had been spent each year. The result had been to raise the rates to 9 l-5d in the pound on unimproved values. Such increase was inevitable, however, whether the system was or was not changed. The alteration to unimproved value rating had not been responsible for the increase in the rates, and the department could not regard the increase as a just cause for the reduction of the values. In all about 340 objections had been lodged for the court’s consideration, but numbers were struck out on account of the non-appearance of objectors. Several objections were sustained and the court arranged for the properties to be inspected. In about 60 cases the applications for reductions in valuations were granted. The court resumed its work this morning, when the few remaining unrepresented objectors were heard, and a start was made with applications where counsel have to be retained. These cases were expected to extend to tomorrow morning, and after they have been concluded the court will make an inspection of various properties concerning which objections have been lodged. The court consists of the president, and Messrs. E. Allen, Government assessor, and T. B. Clay, the Mount Albert Borough Council’s assessor.