RECOVERY OF DEBT

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 70, 15 December 1933, Page 13

RECOVERY OF DEBT

, Claims by Local Bodies FARM PRODUCE PROCEEDS Legislative effect is given to the recommendations of the committee which investigated the rating of Native laud in the Rating Amendment Bill, which was introduced by Governor-Generals Message in the House of liepreseiitatnes yesterday afternoon. The Bill was read a second time pro forma and referred to the Native Affairs Committee. The Bill exempts Native land, not exceeding five acres in any case, occupied by Natives as a papakainga or general dwelling-place. Where Native land is owned in common and is not .vested in any trustee or corporate body, it shall be sufficient to insert in the valuation roll the name of any one or more of the owners as representing all the owners. In . such case the name so inserted shall have the addition “as nominated Maori owuH Where the owners in common of Native land or some of them are in occupation it shall be sufficient to insert one or more of their names with the addition of the words “as nominated Maori occupier. Where there is no known occupier the name of the nominated owner may be inserted as that of-the nominated occupier. If there is no living owner, or it any persons whose name has been inserted as nominated owner or occupier cannot be found, the Registrar of the Native Land Court may apply to the court to appoint some, person who shall be the nominated owner or occupier, or one of the nominated owners or occupiers, as the case may be. ‘ • As soon as convenient after the making by the court of a partition order in respect of any Native Land that is subject to rating it shall be the duty of the registrar to forward notice of this ,o every local authority having power to levy rates, together with a statement of the estimated area of the several parcels and such other particulars as the local authority may in any case require. The registrar shall also transmit to every local authority concerned a minute of all sales and leases that may be hereafter confirmed. . ® A local authority is authorised to amend its rate-book in accordance with information received from the registrar. It shall have power to apportion the rates then owing as between two or more parcels into which it has been partitioned. Such apportionment shall be based upon any order of the court apportioning such rates, or if there is no such order, then in accordance with the valuation of each parcel. If a separate valuation of the several parcels has not been made., then unless and until a special valuation of any parcel is made or agreed to, the valuation of that parcel shall bear to the valuation of the whole area the same proportion as the area of that parcel bears to the whole area. Where Native land is owned by two or more owners in common the vote shall be exercised by the occupier, and if there is no occupier then by the person whose name is entered on the roll as the nominated occupier. If there is more than one nominated occupier the vote may be exercised by such one of the nominated occupiers as may be mutually agreed upon. . Provision is made for the proceeds ot produce to be applied for the payment of rates, and a local authority is authorised to claim a charge on such proceeds, payable by instalments in the case of periodical payments. It is provided that where payments have been made to the ratepayer by monthly or other periodical instalments, the amount recoverable by a local authority for any period~shall not exceed onefourth of the total amount that would otherwise be payable to the ratepayer by the subdebtor. No account shall be. taken of any other charges that may exist on the moneys payable by the subdebtor to a ratepayer. Powey is given the Minister of Finance to direct that after provision for reasonable living expenses has been made revenue development lands will be a first charge for 50 per cent, of the rates. Native lands situated in a borough or town district and »hich are non-revenue producing shall, while remaining non-revenue producing, be liable for one half only of the rates that would otherwise be payable,