VALUATION OF LAND ACT.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LII, Issue 268, 12 October 1932, Page 9

VALUATION OF LAND ACT.

PROPOSED AAIENDAIENT. The proposed amendment of the A'aluation of Land Act came up for discussion at yesterday’s meeting of the Kairanga County Council. It was pointed out that section 50 of the Act made it possible for property owners to require the Valuer-General to revalue their property. Another section provided that an owner of land who, after taking his case to an Assessment Court, was not satisfied with the valuation fixed, could call upon the Crown to buy tlie property at the valuation fixed, or agree to the reduction claimed. Cr Shannon stated that the proposal to amend the latter section to make the decision of the Court final, thus preventing the Crown from being placed in the position of having to acqiure the land, would place the property owners at a distinct disadvantage. AVliile in favour of the abolition of the first clause, the opinion of the members was that the support of Alessrs J. A. Nash and J. Linklater, Al.P.’s, in objecting to the amending of tlie second section should be sought. Cr Anderson: You will never get a Government subservient to the ratepayers. Cr Alildon considered that it might lie advisable to hold a conference with the valuers in order to arrive a.t a fair and reasonable basis of valuation. “We want to know how they arrive at their valuations,” lie added. Cr Alercer pointed out that the ratepayers had, apparently, been satisfied with the valuations in good times and he failed to see why an equal percentage of reduction could not be introduced, which would place everyone on the same footing. It was decided to request the two local representatives in Parliament to watch the interests of the ratepayers and to strongly oppose anything in the nature of taking away the privilege of property owners to call on the Crown to buy the property at a sum fixed at valuation or agree to the reduction sought.