GREAT CARELESSNESS OF LOCAL AUTHORITIES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9123, 3 August 1888, Page 6

GREAT CARELESSNESS OF LOCAL AUTHORITIES.

Our Te Arai correspondent writes as follows :— A curious incident occurred some time back which certainly should be made public. It is as follows : —A certain ratepayer looking over his Weekly News observed an advertisement of the sale of lands for non-payment of rates by the authority of the Registrar of the Supreme Court. Seeing lot —, of the parish of Omavvhari, amongst others he hesitated, thought a bit, and at last came to the conclusion that that lot was his own property, but as certainly knew that the rates were paid. He wrote to the auctioneer explaining matters, and the sale was stopped. On making further inquiries and search, he found that there was another lot in the same parish, but not in the same highway district. The- facts divulged are these : that North Albertland Highway District has lots numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, ana so on up to 100 or 200, as required, but still all lots are in Oruawharo. It was in the above district that the supposed property was situated ; but on investigation, as above stated, it was found that the portion of the Oruawharo parish called Wharehine Highway District was also numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and so on up to 100 or 200, making duplicates of numbers in the same parish. Had the Wharehine chairman advertised his highway district, as well as the Oruawharo parish, no scare" would have ensued. This publicity may be the cause of more care being used in the future. Further, as instancing the want of caution in advertising properties for sale for nonpayment of rates, may be mentioned a very peculiar sale, which has caused much trouble. The Wharehine Highway Board advertised for sale the northern portion of lot — (another lot), which was actually sold and the party occupying and owning the lot knew nothing about it, until he received a notice from a lawyer to quit, or pay rent. This caused the owner a "thunderclap." He had payed his rates and owed nothing of the kind for which his land was sold unknown to him. Of course, this stirred him up, and he eventually found that the southern portion of lot — should have been sold, and not the northern. The buyer of his property has deeds from the Supreme Court, his deeds are from the Governor for the then time being. The question arises now. who is actually the owner ? and also, would the sale come under the head of a fraudulent sale or otherwise ? Some are of an opinion that an Act of Parliament is required to put matters right. Be that as it may, sufficient has been said to prove the utter cruelty of the Act for the en.le of lands, etc., for nonpayments of rates. Some of our legislators may surely find some better way of managing these things without all this hideous blundering. The sooner this is done the better. As matters now are, owners rf land throughout the colony must, to protect themselves, examine the columns of their Weekly News to see when and where their properties are likely to be sold by such blundering as has been developed by the Wharehine Highway Board.

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