“APPALLING NEGLECT”

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18255, 25 November 1933, Page 5

“APPALLING NEGLECT”

COUNSEL’S ALLEGATION MANAGEMENT OF ESTATE CLAIM AGAINST TRUSTEE (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this clay. Submissions on behalf of the plaintiff were made in tlie Supreme Court, when the hearing was continued of the action in which Mrs. Alice Merry claims damages from the Public Trustee.

. The plaintiff moved for judgment, for £1059 with costs', based on the report of a- special referee appointed to hear evidence concerning rental values.

The defendant also moved for judgment. Mr. H. F. Johnston, for the plaintiff. said an attempt had been made by the defence to widen the question before the court as to whether adequate or inadequate rentals were obtained for three specific properties, by putting forward a submission that there was no negligence in the general management of - the estate. As a matter of fact there was abundant evidence of negligence in the management of the estate—appalling neglect. The task set the referee was not a difficult, one, because he had special qualifications to ueal with the matter. That was l one of the reasons for the appointment of Mr. E. Page, S.M. Much had been said of the desirability of retaining good tenants. He contended, however, that this had not weighed at the time with the Public Trustee. But for the low rents longbefore 1920, the tenants would have left, or clamored for reasonable repairs. So low, however, were (lie rents that they preferred to stay on and let- sleeping dogs lie. At the conclusion of Mr. Johnston’s address His Honor reserved decision.