RECLAMATION LAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18171, 17 August 1922, Page 9

RECLAMATION LAND.

HEAVY COST OF FOUNDATION. REDUCTION MADE IN VALUES ASSESSMENT COURT'S SITTING. Further objections to the Government valuations of property in Auckland City were heard yesterday by an Assessment Court, consisting of Mr. V. G. Day, S-M., president; Mr. H. E. Vaile, assessor for local bodies; and Mr. E. Allen, assessor for the Valuation Department. Mr. H. J. C. Coutts appeared for the department. Most of the propisrties which were tho subject of objections were on harbov/x reclamation leases at the foot of Queen Street and having frontages to Queen, Albert or Little Queen Streets. It was stated by one witness that owners of properties in Little Queen Street were put to much extra expense in securing foundations on this reclaimed land, in one case amounting to £40. Excavations from 17ft. to 34ffc. had had to be made and these again had to be rendered watertight. The Court took a sympathetic view of this plea, stating that it was customary in such cases to allow Bome alleviation. In three cases, therefore, allowances- of £25 a foot were conceded, making the land valuation £200 a foot. A reduction of £1500 in unimproved value and of £3000 for improvements was made in the case of Webster and Tonks, owners of a property with frontages of 30ft. to Queen and Little Queen Streets and a depth of 121 ft, leaving capital value £28,750, unimproved value £18,750 and improved £10,000. Two properties of similar dimensions and situation, occupied by Wingate and Company, had reductions made of £1500 in the unimproved value, leaving capital value at £22.950, unur- uved £12,750,. and improvements £4200. The same owners were conceded a reduction of £3000 in the unimproved value of a property, 60 by 121 ft., fronting on Albert and Little Queen Streets, leaving capital value at £18,250, unimproved £12,000, and improvements £6250. Another property of, Wingate and Company with 30ft. frontage and similarly situated, was subjected to a reduction of ( £1500 on unimproved value, leaving capital value at £7000, unimproved £6000, and improvements £1000. An allowance of £25 a foot on unimproved value was made in tho pro- ' petty of the Macindoe Proprietary, having frontages of 30ft. to Albert and Little Queen Streets, and a depth of 121 ft. The i amended capital value waa £10;500, un> < improved £6000, and improvements i £4500. | The valuation on the property of Hard- I ley's, Ltd., 40 by 60ft. ? on the comer i of Little Queen and Customs Streets, was i sustained at £11,000 for capital "value, i £6750 for unimproved, and £4250 for im- ( provements. } A reduction of £1600 was made in the < unimproved value of a property, 80 by i 100 ft., Karangahape Road, owned by f John Dawson. The amended values were t capital £16,800, unimproved £8800, im- i provements £8000. A property having 1 frontages of 40ft. to Queen and High k Streets, and! a depth of 186 ft., owned by r T. Peacock, was fixed at £43,820 for un- s improved value, and £7000 for improve- I ments. t