OBJECTION BY BOARD TO WHOLE VALUATION ROLL SUSTAINED. TOWN BOARD.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 245, 10 March 1888, Page 2

OBJECTION BY BOARD TO WHOLE VALUATION ROLL SUSTAINED.

TOWN BOARD.

Ox Thursday hutM 11. A. Stratford, "R M , a^ Judge of the As«*ssinont Court for Te Arnhn. Town l">i«-ti i*t, sat to hear objections to the valuation roll, boinj; the fiist vnln.ition made for the I*e Aroha Town Board. The valmtion was inado l>y Messrs 11. dump aid J. La very, and was objected to as a -while by the Board, on tho grounds that tit) latcable value of the properties numod « greater than as set forth in the valuntim li-t Mr D. J. Frnzer as clerk to the Town Boaid, appeared to sustain the Boaids objection. The first witness called was Mr Crump, who on being svorn in reply to Mr Frazer stated he hid been appointed by tho Board in conjunction with Mr Lavery to value the properties within the Town District, under the provisions of tho Rating Act, 187 G. After pome firth or preliiuinan'es Mr Frazer asked the witneps how ho had arrived at a? tho value of tho Club Hotel, owned by Mi Dowr.es V By taking the fee simple value and deducting therefrom five per cent according to tho Act. His Worship : How did you airivo at the fee simple value? We put what we considered was the fee simple value in every case. His Worship : Did you in any case take as the basis of your valuation the letting value, and deduct twenty per cent therefrom ? No we did not. In eveiy case we took whit we considered was the ice simple value and deducted therefrom five per centHis Worship . Did Mr Lavery who assisted you agree to this? Yes we wero both in accord. His Worship to Mr Frazer : Can you give me just ono witness to show that the valuation made is not equivalent to the annual letting value less five per cent ? Mr Frazei called Mr A.> W Edwards who in reply to Mr Tracer stated • —He paid a rental of £2 per week for tho shop and dwelling house he occupied, and which was set down at £30 per annum in the valuation list. lie considered the property was under valued, His Worship. — I think that quite sufficient. One valuator, you state, has left the country, the other has shown he went entirely on tho fee simple basis. Now the basis upon which tho valuators have to carry out their duties under the ' Eating Act,' 1876,' is as follows :— They should estimate tho rental at which the properties would let for during the ensuing year, the year for which the people are going to be rated; and in arriving at that estimate, the past year will no doubt be somewhat of a guide to them. They are bound by tho Act, under no circumstances, at any time, not to rate at less than what they estimate the fee simple value, less twenty per cent in the case of houses, etc., and ten per cent in the case of lands. Therefore if they, in the caso of any property, thought the annual letting]! value was Zmthan the fee simple Vcdue (less ten or twenty per

cent),, then they must raise their valuation so ,os not to be .below that basis. The evidence Mr Crump has already given is quite sufficient to sustain the objection by the Board to the valuation nuide, as a whole.

new Valuation to be made. His Worship. — Under the provisions of Section 28, of the l Rating Act, 1876,' 1 ikw appoint Mr G. Wilson, as valuator, with Mr Pavitt as assistant valuator, at a remuneration of £4 4s, and £3 3s, respectively. The valuation list must be completed by March 22nd, and delivered to the pioper officers; and all objections must be lodged on or before April 23id. From March 22nd to April 23id the valua tion lists will be open for inspection at the Board's office ; and objections can be lodged with the Clerk of the Assessment Court, up to 5 p.m., on April 23rd. The proper notices must, in accordance with the Act, bo published in the local newspaper, from March 22nd to April 23rd.

DATE OP ASSESSMENT COURT UNDER NEW VALUATION. I now fix April 25th, at 10 a.m., as the time and date for sitting uf the Assessment Court, to hear any objections that may be lodged with respect to the new valuation about to be made. His Worship then addressed Mr Frazer at sonic length, as to objections, and the manner in which they should be lodged, etc. The Court was then adjourned-