Mystery plot worth $lO,OOO goes missing
PA Auckland It was probably the most valuable piece of land in the country - while it lasted. It was a small plot in Ngahere Road, Pukekohe. The Valuation Department assessed its value at less than $lO,OOO. The Pukekohe Borough Council struck an annual rate of $79.20 on it ■The occupier of the land, the New Zealand Railways, did not have to pay rates because it was classified as Crown land. But it had paid a grant in lieu, to the same value as the rates, for a number of years without question. Then,• overnight, the “property” became worthless — because it had never existed.
The disappearance of Part Allotment 16 Pukekohe Parish, valuation reference 38704/141/1, has
left bureaucrats scratching heads in all directions. '
“I suppose someone put it on the valuation roll by mistake years ago and no one queried ... it,” the. borough treasurer (Mr A. C. Lyall) has said. “It is a mystery to all of us — a most peculiar business.” Someone at the New Zealand Railways office picked up the mistake this year and complained to the council that the Ngahere Road plot did not belong to the department.
The council checked to see who the true owner was and, eventually, the Valuation Department decided it was nobody — the property was nonexistent
At its . last meeting, the council decided to settle the account. It agreed, to write off the $79.20 rates owing, on .the property.
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19801229.2.47
Bibliographic details
Press, 29 December 1980, Page 6
Word Count
242Mystery plot worth $lO,OOO goes missing Press, 29 December 1980, Page 6
Using This Item
Stuff Ltd is the copyright owner for the Press. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0 New Zealand licence. This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of Stuff Ltd. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.
Copyright in all Footrot Flats cartoons is owned by Diogenes Designs Ltd. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise these cartoons and make them available online as part of this digitised version of the Press. You can search, browse, and print Footrot Flats cartoons for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from Diogenes Designs Ltd for any other use.
Acknowledgements
This newspaper was digitised in partnership with Christchurch City Libraries.