ASSESSMENT COURT.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 526, 5 June 1909, Page 13

ASSESSMENT COURT.

JOHNSONVILLE VALUATIONS. SOME REDUCTIONS. A sitting of tho Assessment Court was hold yesterday aftornbon to deal with objections to' valuations mado in tho Johnsonvillo town district. Dr. M'Arthur, S.M., presided, and with him as assessors sat Messrs. J. W. Braithwaitc, of Johnsonvillo, and J. Cudby, of Lower Hutt. Mr, F. N. Martin appeared for the Valuation Department. , Haua To Awhitu objected to the Department's valuation'of £000 (capital value) and £685 (unimproved) on a property of 4 acres 21 poles, being part of Section 25 Wiremutaone Block, Mr. R. C. Kirk, for the said that tho owner's 'valuation of tho section, which was of' vory irregular formation, with high walls of rock closo to tho road, was £500. His Worship said that iu tho formal documents placed boforo him thero was no indication of tho otvnor's estimate. It was tho old Btory, Alexander. A. Gollatly, omployed by Bethune and Co., said that there had been few dealings in Johnsonvillo land recently. The section under disoussion' was generally too wet to build houses on. It would'not be a good property to subdivide, unless a great deal of oxponso was entailed in draining it. In its present condition it would not soil for more than £500. Even at a favourable time, two years ago, tho land would not havo brought £900, being of a very rough description. The price of land throughout the district had fallen on. an average 25 per centi during tho past twoyears. To Mr. Martin: Ho had not* had much to do with sales of land in'that particular part of tho town district. He would not be surprised at'good land in' the.locality selling for £500 ail.acre in a bettor timo and on easy terms of salo. It was quite possible that Johnsonville lands had shown an upward tendency in tho past fivo years, for rates five years ago had been much lower than they were lator. He would bo surprised if values had increased in tho last .nine months.. It was .possible to get a higher prioe for land last September than at tho present timo. In answer to his . Worship, Mr. Martin stated that the , last valuation of the land was £465, made in November, 1904.' Tho Court reduced tho valuation to £600, capital value. Mr. Kirk also appeared for Robert Bould, who; objected to the valuation on his interest in a section consisting of 6 acres 2 roods' 26J poles, being Lot 28, Section 8, Wiremutaono Block. Mr. Kirk stated that tho land was owned by four Natives, and Bould was a lessee. The original valuation, mado in February, 190S, was £470 (capital valuo), of which the owners' interest was placed at £248 and tho lessee's interest at £217. Tho lessee tried .to buy tho. land at something liko tho Government valuation, but was blocked by the Native Court. Ho applied for a special Government valuation, which was granted," and under which the land was assessed, in March, j 1008, to bo worth £675 capital value. Under tho latest valuation, to which tho lessee objoctod, tho capital valuo was raised to £1505, being owners intorost:_£633, and lessee's interest £967. Robert Bould' gave bvidonco that if the land were sold as a freehold it would be worth £150 an aero. Ho considered £675 a fair valuation on tho lessco's interest. F. N. Martin, Government Valuer, gave ,evidence that ho valued tho land at £225 an aero, and in doing so,\waa guided solely by_ Bales that had taken place in tho district. The objector had sold eix acres' -of adjoining land on the hillside for £1500. Tho Court held that at the present timo the land was really north £200 an aero. Inferior land in the locality had been sold at £150. They aesossod tho oapital valuation at £1325, being £440 for owners' interest' and £880 for lossee's interest. , Richards and Wilson, for whom Mr. Kirk appeared, objected to tho valuations on sections A, B. and C in/ the Wirerautaone Block, of which they aro lessees. Tho capital valuo of tho wholo was assessed at £1925. representing owners' intorest £672, lessee's, interest £1248, and improvements^ On a section (area 3 acres 1 rood 14 poles) tho Government valuation was £615, capital value (owners' interest £191, lessee's interest £424). Aloxandcr A. Gellatly gave ovidonco that, ho valued A'section at £555.' Tho property as a wholp could be subdivided by a road, which would cost £200. Tho valuation of A section was sustained. The Department valued B section (1 aero 2 roods 26 polos) at £420, capital valuo (ownon!, intorest £178, losseoa , interest £212), and C section (1 aero 2 roods 26 poles) fit £890, capital value (owners' intorest £303, lessees" interest £582, improvement's £6). . After hearing tho evidenco of Alexander A. Gellatly, the Court reduced tho valuation of B section to £400, and of C section to The Court then adjourned till 10 o'olock nest Wednesday/morning. ,