Untitled

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVI, Issue 9324, 29 March 1889, Page 4

Local bodies are now endowed wit'i large powers in respect to selling -hud for unpaid rates, and it is richt -tV-fc they should have these powers. ]>p ca ., sg iv .var-i i'ouna to bo intolerable i:. H f large areas in country districts"should be vacant, contributing nothing to the absolutely essential work of ""inHki'-V the roads and keeping them in repair But local bodies should be or-r/in'r/y careful in asserting their rights. ovtU'may cause great "hardship to' in<H duals, and perhaps they themselves may make some mistake, which thoy'.vtu dearly rue. Mr. R. Keesing lias'shown us an instance, in which we think the Rodney County Council might, by' a little inquiry, have saved trouble and annoyance to themselves and other* Finding that the rates were in arrear ori a lot of 40 acres at OiT.av.hnro they proceed to sue, and finally they obtain judgment in the Court at Wark worth. They obtain the judgment against Russell (the Christian n.-uoe is not given), who may be. a former owner, or who may have occupied, and who apparently is the person on the rate-book. Having obtained judgment the Council send it in with a batch of others to the Registrar ot ttse Supreme Court, with a request that after the lapse of a certain time he shall sell the land for the £'| 14s 9d overdue rates. The kegij. trar then does what the County Council ought to have done at. first, he searches the register of tilics. and finds chat the owner is Mr. It. K^esiuif. He gives that gentleman intimation, and that is absolutely the first < has Mr. Iveesing hears about the matter, never having received any notice from the County Council, ft ought, we think, to be made compulsory on ail local bodies proceeding to sell land for unpaid rates, to search the land register before incurring legal expenses. That is a simple process, and can be done by them without any expense whatever. The Registrar of the Supreme Court has no obligation laid upon him to look at the register. In this case he might have proceeded to sell on the intimation respecting the judgment given- by the County Council, and Mr. Keeping might have found himself minus his land without ever having heard a word about it from beginning to end, although lie was resident in Auckland. No donor every man who owns land should ascertain what rates it is liable for, and so. that they are paid. But there is also, we think, an obligation on local bodies to use every endeavour to find the owner when they are about to proceed to extremities. At all events, tiia register in Auckland should be inspected.