PROPERTY TRANSFERS

Greymouth Evening Star, 24 March 1944, Page 6

PROPERTY TRANSFERS

LAND SALES COMMITTEE

The Westland Land Sales Committee met in Greymouth, this morning, Mi’ Mark Wallace presiding, with Messrs J. Mulcare and J'. W. Greenslade. Mr. B. King (Commis-j sioner of Crown Lands) and Mr W., A. Dickson (State Advances Corporation) were present. A. Thomas (Mr A. M. Jamieson) sought permission to sell to G. Blair for £155 a freehold section of 38.6 perches in Joyce Avenue. The Crown opposed the application, valuing the property at £135. G. F. Shallcrass, valuer, said the section had a frontage of 58ft and a depth of 2i chains. It was 60-oda yards from Marlborough Street which was a bus route. The back was bounded by Rugby Parle and the Education Board block The vendot, after purchasing the section for £luO, had put in considerable labour by to ,mg and removal of second growth. Adjoining sections tad been sold at an average of nearly £5 a perch. A nearby section of <B.B I perches had brought £230, it having I been sold to the vendor previously lO To £ Mr°king: The latter section had been cleared and partly cultivated between the two sales. Mr Dickson gave evidence ol inspecting the property on Match 8. was covered with bracken, but was in fairly good order. It was uu lowest in the block, but was not a wet or damp section. There was a fence on the right-hand boundaiy and he had allowed half-value at £5. Ten other sections in the vicinity had been sold in one lot at Lliuu, being on the same side of the road as the section under discussion. He instanced selling prices in the vicinity averaging £1.7, £2.8 and £3..j pei I To Mr Jamieson: He did not think: that a man who cleared a section should be paid for his inexperience receiving recompense at award rates. The Chairman said the Committee had to decide whether there was any evidence of speculation or inflation in the transaction. Mr Jamieson said that all the vendor wanted was the recovery of tne initial cost plus the amount involves in clearing the section, also any rise in property value which accrued to December 15, 1942. The Chairman said he was at a loss to discover where the transaction offended against the spirit of the Act. and he was inclined to feel that the Crown was drawing too tight an inference from the wording of that Act. The ether members of the Committee concurred, and the Chairman added that he did not think there haci been a great deal of justification lor bringing the case before the Committee. , j . Mr King said he had brought the case as a test case to enable the Committee to arrive at a decision on property values in the area. It was for the Committee to determine whether or not there was inflation. He had presented all available evidence to the Committee. The Chairman said no evidence had been brought of any undesirable feature about the section and tne price, taking all factors into consideration, did not seem to be excessive. Consent, therefore, would be granted. Mrs M. E. Barlow sought permission to sell a sectMn at Cobden to the Presbyterian Church Property Trust for £lBO. The Crown opposed the transfer on the basis of excessive consideration. O. W. Eastwood, secretary and treasurer of the Cobden branch of St. John’s Church, said that transport facilities were not available for residents to attend services at St. John’s. There were 150 Presbyterian homes in Cobden, and fortnightly evening services had an average attendance of 80 in the Gymnasium; the Sunday School of 71 pupils was accommodated in the State School. The only suitable building site was one of about 32 perches with a frontageof 40ft- It was contended that for a public building the site was of paramount importance, and that valuation could not be on the same basis as lor a residence. The vendor attached a sentimental value to the section and had priced it at £lBO which the Trustees had agreed to accept, subject to the Committee’s approval, if the price were reduced she vzould not sell, and the Church would be left without any alternative site.

To Mr King: The vendor entertained a strong sentimental feeling for the land, which some years ago she had declined to sell. To Mr Greenslade: He thought the value placed on the property had been honestly arrived at. At this stage the Committee adjourned.