BASIS OF VALUATION.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 30 August 1924, Page 7

BASIS OF VALUATION.

BOROUGH AND GOVERNMENT. MUST BE INDEPENDENT. (BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION.) WANGANUI, Aug. 29. A decision of importance to local bodies was given by Mr J. S. Barton, S.M. ,at the Assessment Court to-day-in upholding the objections to certain city valuations. The valuations in question had been assessed by the city valuer on the basis of the Government valuation of the general properties. The Magistrate invited the city valuer, who conducted his ease in person, to give him at least his statement on oath that he valued the properties in question and was of the opinion that the Government value was a fair one. He preferred not to do so, but to rely instead on his interiiretation of the law, justified by the published report of the Baigents (Nelson) case. Mr Barton disagreed with the finding in that case, and held that* the law required the city valuer to make, according to the best of his skill and judgment, a valuation of the fee simple of all properties in his district for the purpose of checking his annual values and fixing his minimum rateable values. In other words, every property must be valued independent of the Government valuation.