ROLLESTON LAND M.O.W. accused of misrepresentation

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33520, 29 April 1974, Page 14

ROLLESTON LAND M.O.W. accused of misrepresentation

Allegations that the Ministry of Works has misrepresented the amount of compensation to be received by people selling property for the new satellite city at Rolleston have been made by the chairman of the landowners’ committee Mr R. G. Watson).

He said yesterday that Ministry officials had told at least four willing sellers of land that the compensatory payment the Government would make to a person who had to leave his house would be $l5OO.

“Not only have land purchase officers and legal officers given this information, but the figure has been set down in writing in agreements for the purchase of land,” Mr Watson said.

One figure

In signing the agreement, the sellers had taken into account a total sum including figures for land, improvements, expenses, and solatium.

“In newspaper statements in Christchurch by the Minister of Works (Mr Watt) about the payment, the figure of $l5OO has been the only one mentioned,” Mr Watson said. “But although this figure has been accepted by the Ministry of Works in Christchurch, and indeed cited by it, the Ministry in Wellington has refused to pay $l5OO, and has indicated it will pay only $750.

“The landowners are most upset, because this is contrary to what they had been led to believe. One has said the whole deal is off, and he will not now negotiate.” Mr Watson said that the Public Works Amendment Act, passed in November, 1973, provided for $750

solatium for a willing seller, and $l5OO for an unwilling seller. The only figure mentioned to sellers in the Rolleston area had been $l5OO. Mr Watson’s claims were supported last night by Mr R. N. Challender, who said his wife had just sold 10 acres in the Rolleston area to the Ministry. They were leaving for Whangarei in the morning. Uns J gned offer “We understood all along that the solatium would be $l5OO, and this figure was given by a Ministry of Works official at the meeting organised to inform landowners about the Rolleston scheme," said Mr Challender.

Tn addition, a land purchase officer had called to explain

details as to land value price, improvements, chattels, legal expenses, some removal expenses, stamp duty, and other costs of buying another property. “This was ratified on a memorandum of agreement from the Ministry, which was an unsigned offer from their side.

“It was sent to Wellington, but the Ministry returned it with a ring around the $l5OO. This was the first we heard about this figure not being the solatium offered. We had made our decision on the full figure.”

Mr Challender said it now seemed as though he and his wife would be $750 short. “Naturally I am pretty sore, and I consider the whole question of compensation has been misrepresented.”