LAND SALES ACT

Greymouth Evening Star, 31 July 1946, Page 3

LAND SALES ACT

COMMENT BY MINISTER ON - AMENDMENT (P.A.) WELLINGTON, July 30. The .recent amendment to the Land Sales Act was described as “a pretty doubtful thing” by the Minister of Rehabilitation (Mr. Skinner), speaking at a conference in Wellington of former servicemen’s organisations. The amendment makes it possible for anyone who has paid more than the price laid down by a land sales committee for a property to claim by law the extra money involved. “We have had complaints time and time again that a property was changing hands at more than the price laid down by the £5OO under-the-table-method,'” said Mr. Skinner, “yet of a possible thousand inquiries we have handed on to the police, only three prosecutions resulted.” It appeared that 90 per cent, of New Zealanders though they said the Land Sales Act was a good thing, were prepared to condone the breaking of it. Mr; Skinner said the new amendment meant that a purchaser’ who paid extra money, and thus broke the law,, could recover his money and have the vendor prosecuted without incurring any penalty for himself. “That system has obvious faults, but it seems the only way we may be able to stop these reported under-the-table deals,” said Mr. Skinner.