NORTHCOTE VALUATIONS.

Auckland Star, Volume LII, Issue 72, 26 March 1921, Page 3

NORTHCOTE VALUATIONS.

ASSESSMENT SXTSTAIiVED. j I I COfNCIL'S riBJWTIOXS j OVEKRULKD. I In ?ivinp hi.- <on«idprpd jufigropnt in the Nor'.hmte As.-e-sniPnt Court <a?p. in which the Korough <'ouncit objertpd lo the whole valuation, the judge of th* ( ourt. Mr. J. W. l'oynton", S.M.. sai.l this was a pex-uliar matter. The Northcote Borough Council objected to the rating of it? own valuer on tw.> grounds: Ml Thnt th° rating na= to.' low all round: and i-1 that the valuer umitlpil to make the declaration re "jiiired hv eub-.-p-.t ion 1 of section 7 of the Kati'.-iR Act, 190<*. While of opinion that the rating was on the lo" side. Mr. I'oynton ?ai>l he could not i.rd«T a fre = h valuation in the ah--nrp of further >-\ .dence than that submitted. When »a. given m an ofli.er and he eKerci-e<l it rca-nnably. without fraud, partiality or palpable error. f..:irt- would not interfere with Valuation of land and hou-o* \va= not an exact art. S."»:ne vhlupts wptp opti-mi.-ti-.-. others th- opposite, and the jK>r--final e-|irat : nn \vr>.- oftr:i present a"d influenced the valuations a- a whole He could not find sufficient cround- to <!»■ -lare the valuations nuHified be the \a!uer's low estimates. On the so, , n d ground, al.-o, he thought, the valuation mu-t stand. The same valuer r:'ude ;!ie valuation? the previous year, and then made th" necessary declaration. He thouc'it the At would be sufticiwiiu.T »a- appointed lo the >.irne nfflff. the same person was appointed to the quired tha* he »':iould lake on n::tH ayain. vide i-ection 0 of the Hath- .Vt . I'HW The omission to t.l ko the oath of nfR-e d:d no- inviolate the judprrent of a .)u.-tice of tlic Peace; it was not :m----invalid; a:! person- «ho acted in the who arrested, the fraoler who rvc.v<l i lie pri-oner. would be iiablp for damages resistance to them would lawful He thought the provision for this de.-laration in the Rating \. t wsa direi-torv only, and not imperative. Tlie council'- officer- should have -een that the declaration uas sijned. ai:d in a . ivil proceeding would be barred from obiert : t<i the consequence, of mi. h an He ruled thnt the valuations -houH stand