URBAN FARM LANDS RATING

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIV, Issue 81, 17 March 1934, Page 4

URBAN FARM LANDS RATING

HEARING AT WAIPAWA TWO SMALL REDUCTIONS MADE From Our Own Correspondent. The Assessment Court set up at Wai pawa to deal with objections to the new valuations made by the Waipawa Bor ough Council under the Urban Farm Lands Rating Act made two very small reductions, the total sum involved in rates being less than £B. Mr J. Miller, S.M., presided, and he had with him on the bench Messrs W A. Chambers (representing the borough) and P. F. Wall (appointed by the Minister of hi ternal Affairs). Mr Strang appeared for the five objectors and Mr Harker for the borough. The evidence led by Mr Strang sought to show that land of equal value situated just over the boundary in the county was tated at only Id in the pound, as against 31 in the borough, and that the rate was exorbitant in view of the limited municipal services which were available to the objecting ratepayers, , On behalf of the borough Mr Harker elicited in evidence that in each case the objector bad bought his property with a full knowledge of the amount of rates he would have to pay, and that not one of them would be prepared to sell at the valuation on which his property was assessed, or within 100 per cent, of it. Mr Harker submitted that the fact that there were objections from only five ratepayers out of 99 new valuations made proved that an honest attempt had been made by the Borough Council to comply with the letter and spirit of the Act, After viewing the various properties the Court delivered its award as under: —Rathbone Estate, “Abbotsford” block, 51 acres, valuation of £5l per acres sustained: 11. It. Bond, area within the borough, valuation reduced from £l3 lo (.‘I I 10/- per acre, area excluded by severance, reduced from. £l2 to £ll pci acre; J. Walker, portion outside the borough, valuation reduced from £7 111.- to £6 15/-, valuation of the inner area to stand; J Ericksen and Sebley Bros, valuations of £8 8/6 and Sebley Bros, of £7 15/to stand.