LAND TRANSFER AND DEEDS REGISTRATION. ANNUAL REPORT OF DEPARTMENT, 1934-35.

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1935 Session I, H-03

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1935. NEW ZEALAND.

LAND TRANSFER AND DEEDS REGISTRATION. ANNUAL REPORT OF DEPARTMENT, 1934-35.

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

Head Office, Stamp Duties Office, Wellington, 31st March, 1935. The Hon. the Minister of Stamp Duties, Wellington. I have the honour to submit the following report on the working of the Land Transfer and Deeds Registration Department for the year ended the 31st March, 1935. The returns appended show — A.—The business transacted under the Land Transfer Act. B The fees received thereunder, including the fees received on account of Crown grants. C.-—The mortgages and discharge of mortgages, and the amount remaining secured by mortgage under the said Act on the 31st March, 1935. D The arrears existing at the various Land Transfer Offices at the close of business on the same date. E The number of deeds received for registration and the number remaining unrecorded on the 31st March last, also the fees received in the Deeds Registration Offices. Business transacted.—Registration business has shown a substantial increase in the number of instruments registered and the amount of fees received during the year. Compulsory Registration.—The work of bringing under the provisions of the Land Transfer Act titles not previously subject to those provisions has been completed in all registries excepting those of the Auckland and the Otago Land Registration Districts. In both these districts steady progressis being made, and it is anticipated that in a period of from two to three years this work will be completed and the system of registration under the Deeds Registration Act, 1908, finally abolished. Reconstruction of the Hawhe's Bay Register.—The reconstruction of the Hawke's Bay Register, which was destroyed in the fire following upon the earthquake in February, 1931, is proceeding steadily. Good progress has been made in examining, checking, indexing, and collating generally the information available. Considerable delay to the work, with the prospects of resultant loss to property-owners, is caused by the failure of property-owners to move in the matter of reconstructing their titles and through their neglect to answer repeated inquiries by the Registrar. More co-operation in this direction would facilitate the work and enable it to be brought to an earlier conclusion. The following table shows the amount of registration business under the Land Transfer and the Deeds Registration Acts transacted during the last five years

Fees under Compulsory Registration Act, 1924.—Paid for year ended 31st March, 1935 ; £3,716 ; outstanding, £31,310. J. Murray, Secretary for Lands and Deeds.

Year ended 31st March, 1931. 1932. | 1933. 1934. j 1935. J I : : • I Instruments .. .. •• 144,436 98,267 81,905 76,355 83,117 Searches (Land Transfer Act only) .. 41,240 27,727 25,471 24,170 28,268 Fees, excluding fees under Compulsory £71,230 £44,945 £36,700 £35,240 £40,962 Registration Act, 1924

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A.—Statement of Business transacted under the Land Transfer Act during the Year ended 31st March, 1935.

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. Certificates in Lieu of P „„ . Applications. Crown Grants. Transfers. Mortgages. Town and Suburban. Country. Ar _ 0 Town and Suburban. Country. Town and Suburban. Country. District. --T- ;. — ; -j ' 1 Area, j Value. f Are, Value. | Town I | Are , | Area . | Area . Amount | Area . A = I fc f5 Suburban. K Jq K 13 Acres. £ Acres. £ ; Acres, j Acres. Acres. I £ Acres. £ Acres. . £ Acres. £ Auckland .. ..2 2 375 6 1,052 9,736 273 162 17,967 3,966 2.133 1,408,549 1,915 289,862 1,866,388- 2,096 1,094 1,169,156 1,847 426,324 1,528,983 Taranaki .. .. 14 4 665 515 204 178,337 283 43,400 402,363 311 159 188,003 381 81,436 392,165 Wellington .. .. 67 80 5,178 2,470 490 1.264,932 725 216,964 1,186,170 1,912 412 1,303,340 838 325,540 1,447,466 Hawke's Bay .. 35 8 3,345 717 295 283,082 213 80,162 648,567 746 220 288,526 293 189,553 855,447 Gisborne .. ..8 6 569 203 96 60,341 114 63,554 222,078 109 62 - 73,399 111 113,194 130,392 Nelson .. .. 4 31 810 17 3 1,727 316 69 89,530 181 24,200 90,592 281 72 109,323 188 48,581 114,825 Marlborough 1 7 1 10 372 5 i 10 446 134 103 34,172 98 71,514 149,364 80 54 35,003 90 111,089 91,469 Canterbury .. ..1 .. 10 .. .. .. 50 8 156 2,461 481 1.169,065 698 120,891 1,059,625 1,568 384 963,797 803 271,478 1,023,664 Otago ' .. .. 8 .. 4,415 .. .. .. 30 30 842 1,611 375 609,745 487 163,920 578,744 1,373 538 £85,404 457 269,448 611,337 Southland .. .. 30 11 984 818 390 252,763 357 101,319 550,402 708 380 302,659 400 144,166 394,338 Westland .. .. 21 139 1,407 175 48 56,349 70 10,831 36,263 150 50 68,924 33 7,365 18,021 Totals, 1934-35 .. 12 2 4,807 11 1,093 10,918 550: 461 33,286 13,396 4,684 5,406,865,5,141 1,186,617 6,790,556 9,334 3,4255,087,534 5,441 1,988,174 6,608,107 Totals, 1933-34 .. 16 1 5,673 12 302 7,804 382 216 20,931 11,183 4,193 4,317,981 4,577 1,017,612 5,233,224 7,677 2,749 3,873,076 4,515 11,433,892 3,779,917 Discharges. .9 „• .1 Certificates of Title g . I -g g j§ § g "2 a § Sj ■ Jj« 35 ag S issued (other than ® g g fx _ g g a c g a2 c f SS s District — I If 9KST& I J J li 2 % o|0 I ; ;l § !»•§ if,- E. I X I Amount. IS H 'I I 1 % «§ I | |&| I If g I' ° | ill ll-l 1 § ! r i fi igssffi. others - I i i I r 1 i_ i a * g r r i r a r" g i Auckland .. 3,959 3,335,711 .. 343 2,245 2,465 .. 8 303 251 585 118 26 117 206 7,998 63 361 1,422 1 8 4,228 11,456 18 *8 Taranaki .. 759 786,943 .. 87 5 195 123 .. 166 35 45 65 10 21 22 1,354 15 138 259 1 593 1,913 0 6 Wellington .. 3,069 3,296,574 .. 104 9 1,192 .. 3 321 29 148 46 26 88 63 4,539 14 f 299 1,024 .. 20 2,317 7,017 10 0 Hawke's Bay .. 879 1,286,013 .. 54 .. 1,090 .. 5 168 37 87 44 51 33 158 1,286 .. 102 364 5 804 2,131 13 0 Gisborne .. 229 278.987 .. 17 .. 115 .. 75 26 26 69 5 16 14 590 2 30 72 .. .. 334 713 10 0 Nelson .. 400 178,356 .. 89 53 243 1 3 39 40 104 2 29 12 12 754 3 63 132 1 313 1,246 19 0 Marlborough .. 184 231,153 .. 3 4 55 .. 18 12 15 6 13 7 398 37 80 .. 200 489 4 10 Canterbury .. 2,175 2,251,081 .. 81 4 850 2 1 127 35 160 3 14 80 19 4,774 12 387 935 3 2,591 6,569 4 0 Otago .. .. 1,624 992,682 .. 96 814 531 6 10 146 52 132 .. 54 27 28 2,722 1 172 648 7 5 1,821 4,231 11 0 Southland .. 841 730,981 .. 14 2 356 3 98 8 58 ; 4 16 8 1,686 3 116 305 2 512 2,368 0 3 Westland .. 143 62,702 .. 10 .. 156 2 1 84 86 13 2 1 18 14 308 1 40 82 .. 160 607 1 3 Totals, 1934-35 14,262 13,431,183 .. 898 3,136 7,248 134 34 1,545 611 1,373 j 349 226 441 551 26,409 114 | 1,745 5,323! 8 45 |l3, 873 j 38,744 12 6 Totals, 1933-34 10,673 8,829,477 .. 1,090 4,447 6,525 179 50 11,441 699 1,051 j 269 150 329 603 22,485 123 j 1,562 4,921 7 81 jl2,683 32,630 13 0 ! I I L_ ! I I ; I 1

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B.-Return of Fees received under the Land Transfer Act for the Year ended the 31st March, 1935.

C.—Return showing the Total Amount of Money secured by Mortgage under the Land Transfer Act on the 31st March, 1935.

Return showing Number and Amount of Mortgages under Land Transfer and Deeds Registry released in each District from Ist April, 1934, to 31st March, 1935. Amount. District. Number. £ Auckland 4,288 3,570,720 Taranaki •• 759 786,943 Wellington '.! 3,069 3,296,574 Hawke's Bay .. .. ■■ 878 1,286,013 Gisborne . . ■ ■ ■ • • • ■ • 229 278,987 Nelson .. .. •• ■■ 401 178,956 Marlborough . . .. • ■ • • ■ ■ 184 231,153 Canterbury .. .. •• •• 2,175 2,251,081 Otago .. 1,761 1,088,425 Southland 841 730,981 Westland .. .. • • •• •• 143 62,702 Totals 14,728 £13,762,535

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Compulsory District. General Tees. Registration Fees. £ s. d. £ s. d. Auckland .. .. 11,456 18 8 1,900 0 0 Taranaki 1,913 0 6 68 15 0 Wellington 7,017 10 0 218 15 0 Hawke's Bay .. ■■ •• 2,131 13 0 320 0 0 Gisborne .. .. •• 713 10 0 5 0 0 Nelson •• 1,246 19 0 140 0 0 Marlborough " .. .. 489 4 10 71 5 0 Canterbury 6,569 4 0 ® Otago ' 4,231 11 0 801 5 0 Southland 2,368 0 3 58 15 0 Westland .. • • • • 607 1 3 12 10 0 Totals 38,744 12 6 3,716 5 0 Corresponding period, 1933-34 .. 32,630 13 0 3,661 5 0

Amount remaining Amount secured by Amount of Amount remaining secured by Mortgage during Mortgage paid secured by District. Mortgage on the the Year ended ofi during the Mortgage on the 31st March, 1934. 31st March, 1935. same Period. 31st March, 1935. £ £ £ £ Auckland.. .. 77,929,776 2,698,139 "'SJ'SS Taranaki.. .. 21,384,237 580,168 o 786,943 21,177,462 Wellington .. 71,798,366 2,750,806 3,296,574 71,252,598 Hawke s Bay .. 23 143,254 1,143,973 1,286,013 23,001,214 •Gisborne .. .. lo!264,896 203,791 278,987 10,189,700 Nelson .. .. 4,210,870 224,148 178,356 662 Marlborough .. 4,345,196 126,472 23,153 240,515 Canterbury .. 52,721,926 1,987,461 2 '251>081 458,306 Otago .. 17,346,613 1,196,741 992,682 17,550,672 Southland .. 13,921,920 696,997 7 ®,981 13,887,936 Westland .. 1,460,209 86,945 62,702 .1,484,452 Totals .. 298,527,263 11,695,641 13,431,183 296,791,721

D.—Return showing Arrears in the Land Transfer Department on the 31st March, 193

Other Instruments unrecorded. District. Transfers. Mortgages. Miscellaneous. Auckland .. • ■ • ■ ■ • .... ■ • 7 Taranaki .. .. •• •• .. 2 3 6 Wellington . . • • ■ ■ • • .... Hawke's Bay .. .. • ■ ■ • . . 3 7 487 Gisborne .. •• •• ..3 1 3 Nelson .. . . ■ • • • ■ • . . 3 3 10 Marlborough . . • • • ■ • ■ .. 2 1 Canterbury . . . . • • • • .. 10 9 23 Otago . . . . • • •• •• 13 3 14 Southland .. .. ..4 3 3 Westland .. .. •• .. 2 4 4 Totals .. . ■ • • • • 42 33 558

E. —Return showing the Number of Deeds remaining unregistered on the 31st March, 1934; the Number received for Registration and the Number registered during the Year ended 31st March, 1935; also the Number remaining on that Date, and the Amount of Fees collected during the same Period.

By Authority: G. H. Loney, Government Printer, Wellington. —1935.

Price 3d.\

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Applications (other than Unregistered TT . , , Applications Applications Applications those already jnstrmnents Unregistered Certificates received awaiting detained for mentioned) awa iting Instruments of previous to District. Compliance Examination received Compliance < i ? ta " led Title due but Current ■with in the during the m the no t i ssue d. Month not Requisitions. Survey Office. Month Requisitions Survey Office. yet passed, and not yet passed. i Auckland 8 1 • • 27 53 75 Taranaki .. .. • ■ • • 24 10 53 Wellington .. .. • • • • 58 50 34 Hawke's Bay .. .. • • • • 63 20 21 Gisborne .. .. • • • • 6 .. 3 Nelson .... .. ■ ■ • ■ 7 • • Marlborough . . .. • • • • 2 .. 5 Canterbury .. 1 • • • • 37 .. 22 1 Otago 2 .. .. 47 19 51 Southland .. .. • • • • 1 ■ ■ Westland .. .. • • • • H • • 2 Totals 11 1 ■ • 283 152 289 4

Received Unrecorded _ . f ° r Recorded Unrecorded on Registration during on District. , 31s t March, d urln § fch ® the same 81st March, 1934 Year ended Period. 1935. 31st March, 1935. I £ s. d. Auckland 17 1,615 1,619 13 1,491 9 9 Taranaki .. . . .. ■ ■ 10 10 ■ • o in a Wellington . . .. ■ • ■ • 4 • ■ 8 19 t Hawke's Bay .. .. •• • • Gisborne " •• 1 1 " Nelson .. .. .. 3 11 14 •. 10 11 0 Marlborough .. .. •• •• •• •• • • Canterbury .. .. ■ ■ 1 1 2 . . 0 lo 6 Otago 29 669 669 29 687 5 0 Southland .. .. . • ; • • • • • • • • 6 11 0 Westland Totals .. .. 50 2,311 2,319 42 2,217 3 9 Approximate Cost of Paper.--Preparation, not given ; printing (445 copies), £6 10s.