Stamp office

Press, Issue 33842, 14 May 1975, Page 16

Stamp office

Sir, —In February I repaid a mortgage. The release went to the Stamp Office immediately. Now, three months later, I am still waiting for the return of the file. The lawyers say they can do nothing about it, that the Stamp Office is notorious. I have had the same experience 10 years ago. Dare one seek the cause, and then ask why this pathetic state of affairs is not rectified? Three months to do perhaps a few minutes work. If “the law is a ‘hass’," as Mark Twain declared this branch of the law has been a “hass” too long. —Yours, etc., SOTTO VOCE. May 5, 1975.

[Mr C. K. Jones, District Commissioner of Inland Revenue, replies: “I would take issue with the statement ‘The lawyers say they can do nothing about it, that the Stamp Office is notorious.’ To my knowledge our relations with the Law Society are excellent and this is the first complaint of this nature I have seen in my 10 years in Christchurch. Normally transactions of this nature are completed on a 24-hour basis, except in the rare cases where further inquiry is necessary, and then of course we are dependent on the speed of the reply to that inquiry. It is not possible to check statements such as those made unless the name of the person concerned and that of his legal adviser is given. If your correspondent will get in touch with me the matter will be investigated to find out if indeed the fault does lie with this office.”]