LAND TRANSFER TITLE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18458, 23 July 1923, Page 8

LAND TRANSFER TITLE.

i SYSTEM TO BE UNIVERSAL, MOST AFFECTED. PROVISIONS OF NEW; BILL. [by telegraph.—special reporter.] : WELLINGTON, Saturday. A' very heavy : programme of work on the part of ~ the Deeds Registration, Department is involved by the Land Trans- 1 fer Amendment Bill which Sir Francis Bell has introduced in the : Legislative Council with the object of bringing under the land transfer system all the land titles in Now Zealand.^ . "v, ; It was the. original opinion of the Registrar-General' of •; Land that it .would tpJce more than five years to bring all the titles under the simpler system of land transfer. However, in a memorandum to the. Attorney-General, this officer states that it will be possible to complete the work within five years except, ( perhaps, in the Auckland land district, in which about half the land affected is situated. The main difficulty will be to find additional examiners and clerks, and to find room for them in the deeds registration offices. , The hours during which the public may inspect deeds will have to be materially curtailed during the process. It is shown that throughout New . Zea* land titles held under Crown grant are 18.6 per cent., the remaining 81.4 per cent, being held under the modern system of land transfer. The estimated number of holdings or titles under the old-system is ,70,000, and the number is increasing ill spite of land being brought under the Land Transfer Act at the rate; cf, per cent, per -annum. ■ ■"-■'.- \ . It is intended to;; have an official examination of titles made and put on record and to issue certificates of title guaranteed except as to the specific defects which may be found by the examiners to exist. A person searching the title will then only have to inspect the certificate of' title with, the registrar's minute setting forth the defects. 4 , To issue fully guaranteed titles without requiring surveys, remarks the registrar, would be to invite numerous claims upon the assurance fund incases which abound; especially ill towns, where the documentary title holder has lost his title to part* of the land by encroachment and adverse possession of his neighbours and in cases where the descriptions of land in deeds are erroneous. It is proposed, therefore, to avoid the immediate, necessity for surveys by issuing titles not to be guaranteed as to the position, area, or boundaries of the* land until such time as the proprietor (or it may be the adjoining proprietors) shall deposit a survey plan or plans showing what the proprietor is in possession of and the correct measurements. • Land owners will not bo required to do anything or pay anything for bringing land under the Act, but the department proposes to make a charge of £1 5s for the first certificate of • title. This will bring in about £100,000, which is believed to be more than sufficient to cover the cost to the country. Payment by the land owner will not be made until a dealing is required to be registered and the proprietor will usually be saved more than the special fee by reason of the lower scale of charges for preparing instruments under the Land Transfer Act. ' THE COST OF BUILDING. prices in AUCKLAND. 'difference OF opinion. . [by. telegraph.— s'PECTAl. reporter.] WELLINGTON. Saturday. Different opinions regarding the present cost of building wore voiced in the House of Representatives during the discussion on the State Advances Amendment Bill. The Minister for Labour* the Hon. G. J Anderson, stated that a , four-roomed* house, with all conveniences, could not be built: to-day for less than £200 a room. ' Mr. J. K. Corrigan. (Patea).: You can in Auckland. They are building fiveroomed houses, with every convenience, foi' £700. •:•■'■ '„ \ /,' Tho Minister I am saying what . I know..--/ ' ' ' ■.;■■/' '■-.- ' "'» Mr. Corrigan : So am I. , The Minister adhered to his statement. He said nothing but modern houses would meet the present demand, and these could - not be built in the immediate vicinity of the centre of a city at a less cost than what he had stated. The Hon. J. A : Hanan (Invercargill) stated that in Victoria six-roomed, '■ up-to-date houses wore being built in 1021 for £800. In New Zealand such a house would cost £1200. He failed to understand the reason for the difference in price between Victoria and the Dominion, and 'thought it was a matter to which the (Minister in charge of the department might very well devote his attention.