SURRENDER OF LEASES.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 18 November 1925, Page 4

SURRENDER OF LEASES.

ON NEW SUBDIVISION. BOROUGH COUNCIL TAKES action. The Hawera Borough Council last evening agreed -to the surrender of several leases on subjection 37. members of the Reserves Committee, in recommending that such action be taken, stating the the financial positions of such lessees had been investigated and it had been the committee’s opinion that it would be hopeless to expect these lessees to continue to pay the rent. Or. Reid opposed the committee’s recommendation, stating that lie thought the council should consider a further reduction in rent instead. He thought that the council’s action in granting surrenders of leases would make it easy for other lessees whose financial position was good, to obtain surrenders.

Cr Townsend said that the Reserves Committee had only recommended surrenders of leases where it was absolutely hopeless to expect lessees to pay "the rent. Cr. Butler favoured a further reduction of the rents. . , The Mayor (Mr. E. A. Pacey) pointed out that the Reserves Committee had looked at the matter from every conceivable way. Private mortgagees and vendors had had to allow mortgagors and purchasers to go back on their bargains, and members of the Reserves Committee, in acting as trustees for the ratepayers, had been more cautious than would have been the case had they been dealing with their own private affairs. Cr. Walkley pointed out that if a man was unable to pay it was better to accept a surrender, and so be in a position to lease the section to someone else

For Cr. Gilbert’s information, tbe Mayor made it clear that where surrenders were granted all arrears had to be x>aid by the lessees. With a view to bringing out confidential information regarding tbe cases under review the council went into committee, it being later reported that the council had decided to accept surrenders in all but one applicant’s case.