ASSESSMENT COURT.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4394, 27 June 1901, Page 2

ASSESSMENT COURT.

The Assessment Court resumed its sitting yesterday morning, the bench being Mr W. B. Haselden, S.M. (president), and Messrs D. T. Stuart and Frank Bradey (assessors). Mr G. F. C. Campbell appeared for tho Valuation Department. . . The appeal case of John Duthie (as distinct from the firm of John Duthio and Co.) against his being assessed the sum of £3690 on the unimproved value of land leased by him from the College Trustees aud sub-leased by him to the firm of which he is the head, was further considered by the Court. . Mr Menteath, for appellant, said lus client objected to the Valuation Department having ignored the fact that the buildings and other improvements which had been placed on the ground would be forfeited when the firm handed back the land on the expiry of the lease. The Court, Sir Menteath told the president, in answer to a query, was net asked to differentiate between Mr Duthio and jL/uthie and Co. Tho real stand taken was that the Department should increase the assessment of the landowner and reduce that of the lessee. It was a fact that the buildings erected on the. land had been for a period a non-paying investlu response to a supposititious case put by Mr Menteath, the president said he took it that the matter for the Court to decide was what would be a fair sum ?o provide for cost of the buildings erected on the property, and for a sink ing fund. That being apportioned, the Court’s further course would he c eai Mr Campbell said he took it that the claim of the appellants was that there should be added by the Department to the amount of rental the annual loss on Widths The Department claimed fhat the ’loss on buildings had nothing whatever to do with the erourid to*the Ttipnf The “buildings were valued to tn© the period of their future and might he placed in possession of further information.