PROTECTION FOR TENANTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21688, 5 July 1932, Page 8

PROTECTION FOR TENANTS

AMENDING LEGISLATION STATEMENT BY MINISTER (Peb United Press Association.) WELLINGTON, July 4. There is a likelihood that the Government will next session undertake a revision of the Distress and Replevin Act to give greater protection to tenants in dwellings, according to a statement by the Acting-Alinister of Employment (Mr A. Hamilton). In reply to a deputation from the Wellington Relief Workers and Property Owners’ Association to-day the Minister said he intended to look into the Act to see if it could be amended so as to give assistance to tenants. Attempts have been made by Mr P. Fraser (Labour member for Wellington Central) to have the Act amended in order to enable tenants to take their cases before a court before being turned out of their houses and sold up by the landlord through a bailiff. The Minister informed Mr Fraser that he was going to investigate the purport of the Act, and he acknowledged the efforts made by Mr Fraser to have the measure amended. Under the law in its present form there is no need for a landlord to take a defaulting tenant to court. All he is obliged to do is to appoint a bailiff, and if the tenant is willing to leave the landlord may sell his effects, but he must leave the tenant with £SO, If, on the other hand, the tenant is unwilling to leave, the landlord may sell all his effects as well as evict him. The object df Mr Fraser’s amendments, which were incorporated in a private Bill introduced by him during the 1931 main session, was to make it obligatory for a landlord to take a case to court so that it could be decided before a magistrate. The Bill passed the House of Representatives, but it was reported adversely upon by the Statutes Revision Committee of the Legislative Council and rejected.