COURT CASES AT OPUNAKE

Taranaki Daily News, 14 February 1931, Page 11

COURT CASES AT OPUNAKE

CIVIL CLAIMS DECIDED. In the following undefended civil, cases judgment was given for plaintiff with costs by Mr. R. W. Tate, S.M., at Opunak© yesterday.—Newport Motors v. A. Smith, £3 4s 6d (costs £1 12s fid); Dr. H. L. Bowell v. N. Pepperell, £2 12s fid (13s 6d); Same v. Jas Mann, £3 3s (£1 7s 6d); Same v. M. Sutton, costs 18s; R. E. Peat v. A. S. Smith, £4 19s 6d (£1 12s 6d); Same v. R. Brennan, £5 10s 6d (£1 12s 6d); A. G, Martelli v. Rupert Brennan, £2 (£1 10s fid) ; Dr. H. L. Bowell v. Geo. Enia, £3 ,3a (£1 19s 6d); A. Newport v. Peter Hora, £4 10s 9d (£1 14s 6d); Same v. H. T. Robertson, £1 7s 2d (17s); P. J. Northcott v. R.. Ferguson, £6 (£1 10s 6d). A claim in connection with the lease of a farm at Te Kiri was decided. Amelia Hamel Vare, of Wellington (Mr. A. Chrystal), claimed £3B 12e lOd from Geo Reid, farmer of Te Kiri (Mr. T. B. Fouhy). Defendant counter-claimed for £lO. The claim was for a balance of rent and legal .expenses and the counter-claim was for fencing and various repairs. After the hearing of evidence from F. W. Vare and P. Bloxan for the plaintiff and of defendant and his wife judgment was given for plaintiff for £36 17s lOd, with costs £9 3s. Finality was reached in a case which has occupied the court for several sittings. Mr. Tate gave reserved judgment in the case in which F. €. Wilson and V. N. Roberts (P. O’Dea) claimed £2ll le from Hugh McCann (Mr. A. A. Bennett), who coun-ter-claimed for £2lO Ils 6d. In giving judgment the magistrate said that he had formed the opinion that much of the evidence of the plaintiffs and of the defendant was unreliable and that of their partisans little better. He found that the evidence of Carter, Tosland, Inder and Sheat, together with the agreement, was nearly all upon which reliance could be placed. The claims and counter-claims were largely extravagances set up to answer one another. The magistrate gave judgment for plaintiffs for £5O Ils lid, considering the cutting of blackberries and the loss through alleged grazing of 100 calves not being proved. Of the counterclaim he allowed £l3 10s —£6 for clearing the cowyard and £7 10s for repairs to fences and drains, an agreement being reached by the solicitors for the parties on the question of costs.