ASSESSMENT COURT.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2547, 6 March 1877, Page 2

ASSESSMENT COURT.

The Assessment Court for the purpose of hearing and determining all objections to the valuation list for the Borough of Thames was held to-day at the Warden's Court House before W. Fraser, Esq., Judge! : •'••-■ : , '■ Black G., battery and : engine-house, &c, £1500, Grahamstown. Property not rateable.

Mr Macdonald appeared for the objector, and stated that the objection came under the ''objections allowed by the Bating Act. He said that he might mention that in this case and in others of which notice of appeal had passed through his office, that he had seen Mr Whitaker and had explained to him the position he held in the Borough, and Mr Whitaker had given his opinion on■ the. merits of each case which he had himself in* dorsed. Assessment confirmed. Brown, J., allotment and battery, Tararu, £2CO. Property not rateable. Valuation confirmed. Bucklaud, Alfred, allotment^and shop, Owen street, £25, held by 11. Keavey ; allotment and house in Collar street, £8, held under lease by J. Slackpool ; allotment and house in Abraham street, £20, value excessive. .No appearance of appellant. • All confirmed. Burke,.P., allotment and.shop in Owen street, £20; allotment and hotehin Owen street, £75; allotment and bakery, Burke street, £20; all of excessive value. Mr Gy-N." Brassey appeared for appellant, and the question was then raised whether he could do so or not. The Town Clerk stated that he had received no. notice of the objection. Mr Brassey stated that no written notice had been sent, only a verbal one given.: ; ■ The' Judge said that a verbal notice was invalid. Assessment confirmed. Carpenter, W., allotment and boatshed, Pollen street, £10, not the occupier; allotment, store and office, Albert; street, £50, excessive value. Mr Carpenter stated that heiwas not the occupier of the boat-shed, and paid £3 a year for a portion of an allotment.. This property was then assessed ac £3. Regarding the second objection Mr Carpenter said he paid £35 a year only, it had been rated formerly at £40, and now was increased to £50.

The Judge said the question was, what was the actual value of the property ? Mr Carpenter said he was quite willing to let it at £35, and had offered it at that sum.

Mr Fleming said that Mr Carpenter was rated the previous year at £50, and paid the rates. Mr Benshaw, at the request of. the Judge, stated that if he had been rated £50 for that property, he would not have objected. Confirmed. Casey, M., property at Tararu Creek, £17," value excessive. No appearance of appellant. Confirmed. Cashell, Jane A., house in Eyre street £36, excessive value. No appearance of appellant. Confirmed. ' Chastagnon, S., house, £40; conv.ent, £50; schools, £70; all in Willoughby street. School in Walter street £25. The appellant objected on religious grounds.- Confirmed. Comer 8., battery &., Tararu Road, £400, not rateable.

Confirmed. Cooper I. E., Tolunteer Hall, Eichmond street, £35, not the owner, value also excessive. Confirmed. Dickey S., house and allotment Block 5 a., £9, no appearance. " ' .

Confirmed. Donovan T., house and allotment Richmond street, £12, value excessive; allotments in Mackay street, £12, value excessive. The first assessment was reduced to £10. The Town Clerk said regarding the second objection, that he opposed all the objections raised on the score of vacant allotments.

Seduced to £10. EndresH., allotment and hotel, Pollen street, £45, excessive value; allotment and house, WiJUamson street, £15, not the owner.

No appearance. Confirmed. -Ferguson W., allotment and building, Beach road, £100, excessive value. No appearance of objector. Confirmed. Fraser and Tinne, allotment and building, Beach road, £60, value excessive. No appearance. Confirmed. French J.._M. No appearance. Confirmed.

. Garvey J.,, allotments in Campbell street. One allotment reduced to £5, the other confirmed.

Graham R., 284, Kirkwood street, £6. Objector said he would be glad to let it for £2 a-year for eight years or ten years. He also stated he had -put down the value< of the allotments in Kirkwood street at about £20, and would be ready to dispose of either of them at that sum. He considered that from £2 to £3 was a fair value though rather a high one. Mr l)ean considered vthe valuation was. not high, especially with regard to Cochrane street. Mr Graham had admitted that these were mere valuable than allotments in Kirkwood street. Mr Vernon, valuator, gave evidence as

to the value of allotments in Kirk wood" street. He considered that the valuation was fair. The allotments were improving instead of depreciating. He valued the freeholds at £45 each. Mr Fleming confirmed Mr VernonY view of the valuation. He considered £6 to £8 a fair assessment. The road had been considerably improved di»t?ng the past year. The Judge thought the Court was not in a fair position to deal with the evidence before it. It was most unsatisfactory. He would make a dash at it, put down all the vacant Kirk wood allotments

other than those which were corner allot-

ments, at £3 each. The three allotments

with houses on them £8 each, and two others in Kirkwood street at £6 each; six allotments" in Cochrane street at £6 each ; nine . others in the same street at £5 each; two corner ones at £8 each ; in Pahau street four allotments at £5 each; four allotments in Williamson street at £5 each ; six m Bella street at £5 each; those in Alfred and Martha street at £5 each. . v . Mr Graham said that he would put up one ..of each of the allotments in these streets, and let the valuator see what they would fetch, and that .would do for a basis to go upon. , Mr Dean said that would not be a fair way, as the one that was put up might not be the one a man wanted. Mr Dean said in reference to the allotments opposite Adcock's in Pollen street, that £10 per year would be moderate enough. It would be an extremely low valuation. Confirmed at £10 per year. Allotments in Broad street, Block 5i. : Mr Graham said he did not get more than £2 10s for them. They were' rated at £6 per year, and it was far too much. Mr Dean, said he was willing to take Princess, Broad and Keddell streets, at £3 10s. . .., Fixed at £3 each. --.. * . ■ ,-; Allotments 118 And 119 in Davy street, opposite Hamilton's the baker's. ■ , ."• - Mr Dean stated that they were .valued at £8 each, and Mr Graham objected to that on the ground* of excessive valuation. - . .*__,, T Confirmed. • '• s - <■.'<' ' Photographic studio and offices in Williamson street. Bate£ at^O. 'jp y% • Mr Graham objected' otf tiie grounds "of excessive valuation. Reduced to £35. Two allotments on Beach Eoad, Grahamstown, rated at £20 per year.' Confirmed. ->„-, rr . y . Allotments in Queen street, rated at £8. Confirmed. > . „. „ Jame3 Hamillon objected to'the rating of property in Davy street when he was not the occupier of the property.

Confirmed.^ -«•'•-',.,-" - r- ' " •■■ Gr. T. Herbert objected. to his being rated for property in Eyre street when'it was occupied by the Rev. R. Laishley. Mr Dean submitted that, he had not proved that he was not the occupier. , Confirmed.

James Heron objected to the rating of two allotments in JBolleston street rated at £9 on the grounds of.excessive T*lu#>, tion. Mr Heron-said he thought that #?«a £3 would be too much, but he would tafcfc that. - - - • --■•■ '• •■ ■/' Mr Dean considered that it wai fair, value. Allowed to stand over. [Left «itting.j