BREACH OF BUILDING BY-LAWS

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9056, 15 February 1908, Page 6

BREACH OF BUILDING BY-LAWS

A CONTRACTOR FINED. The first charge laid in Masterton of erecting a building without submitting plana to ard obtaining a permit from the Municipal authorities was heard by Mr W.P. James, S.M., at the Magistrate's Court, Masterton, yesterday morning, when Harry Retter was charged by Inspector Cairns with commencing the erection of a dwelling-house in Church street without first obtaining the sanction of the Bomugh Council to the plans, in accordance with the Borough bylaws.

Defendant pleaded guilty, but said that it had been a common practice for contractors erecting houses in the Borough to do as he had done that was, to make a commencement with the work exj ecting that the plans would in due course be approved, as minor alterations could always be carried out. The Inspector said it was not the general rule to do this. It had certainly been done on occasions, but the Council did not wish to countenance the practice and intended to apply the by-law strictly in future. The Magistrate said it was certainly a lax procedure if builders had been allowed to do as defendant had done, and it was probably an incentive to him, but nevertheless that did not dispose of the fact that a breach of the by-law had been committed, and defendant was not in ignorance of its existence. However, as the Inspector had intimated that a heavy penalty would not be asked defendant would be fined the nominal sum of £l, with 7s costs. J