ASSESSMENT COURT

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 76, Issue 179, 1 August 1933, Page 4

ASSESSMENT COURT

OBJECTIONS TO VALUATION WANGANUI SITTING, NEARLY 700 CASES TO BE HEARD. Approximately 1383 objections have iß’en lodged against Government valuations in the city of Wanganui, and were called yesterday when the Assessment Court opened its sittings. Roughly 621 of tho objectors decided immediately to avail themselves of section 45 of the Valuation of Land Act, which permits tliv i to offer their properties to the Government if they are not satisfied w.th the valuations put on them by the Valuer-General. About 674 vnluatiins will be contested and the Court will bo called upon to make decisions with regard to those. The other 85 objections called were struck out on account of objectors not appearing. The Court opened at 10 o’clock ves-t-rday morning. Messrs. H. E. Leighton (Government Assessor) and Imlay Saunders (local bodv assessor) occupying the Bench. Mr. T. H. Crosbie, clerk of the Court presided in the opening stages, until the afternoon, when Mr J. G. L. Hewitt, S.M., arrived. Mr. D. B. Varcoe. Government Valuer, with him Mr. L. Pleasants, appeared for tho Valuation Department. (•ailing of the roll was not completed until 4 o’clock in tho afternoon. Mr. Crosbie explained that objections naturally fell into ‘three classes: (J) Those in respect to which the objectors proposed to call evidence to dispute the valuer’s assessments; (2) /those in which objectors intended to avail themselves of section 45 of tho Act and offer tho properties to the Government; (3) those in which no objector ap peared in support of an application for reduction. These would be struck out automatically. Objectors who wished to offer their sections to the Government would have to do so within 14 days from yesterday. They had to advise thei Valuer-Gen-eral that they desired the capital value to be reduced to a certain sum which, in their opinion they considered reasonable. or, as an alternative that the Valuer-General acquire the properties at that sum. Mr. Ralph Brown pointed out that if an objector said "I offer,” when the roll was being called that meant that the valuation assessed by the Government Valuer would bo sustained. Mr Crosbie: That is correct. The valuation as at present will appear on the roll and tho objector, if he desires it to be altered, must take action within fourteen’days. Objections were then called, and the procedure had hardly been under way five minutes when Mr. Varcoe objected to any persons other than objectors, or counsel authorised on their behalf to answer when the cases wore called. Mr. H. J. Duigan: I have written authority to appear for all the cases I am concerned with. The list was taken in sections, starting with Castlecliff, and a chock kept of the cases as they wore called, re-

vealed totals as under:— Castlocliff: Total objections, 102 (offered under section 45, 64; to be contested, .‘10; struck out, 8). Gonvillc: Total objections, 187 (offered. 129; to be contested, 37; struck out, 21). Other suburban centres (St. John’s, Aramoho, Wanganui East, Durie Hill, etc.): Total objections 540 (offered, 330; to be contested, 172; struck out, 38). Business area: Total objections, 554 (offered 101; to be contested, 435; struck out, 18). With 674 cases to be hoard there is a prospect of the Court having a lengthy sitting. A start was made with Castlocliff objections yesterday afternoon, and the Court decided that tho cases would bo taken in the following order: —Castlocliff, Gonville, College Estate. St. John’s, Aramoho, Wanganui East. Durie Hill, business area. When objections to Castlocliff valuations wore being hoard Mr. Varcoe pointed out in one case that the assessment made by tho department was in line with that fixed by the Court for that type of property last year. The Court’s assessments had been taken as a basis. Mr. N. R. Bain, who appeared for the objector, said that although Mr. Varcoe might have adopted that basis, objectors could not bo blamed if they brought forward evidence to show that things had not improved since last year, and that the Court’s assessments made then wen’ on tho high side. Mr Hewitt: Oh, no. Wo can consider the whole thing. The Court will continue with Castlecliff cases this morning.