LAND TRANSFER AND DEEDS REGISTRATION. ANNUAL REPORT OF DEPARTMENT, 1939-40.

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1940 Session I, H-03

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1940. NEW ZEALAND.

LAND TRANSFER AND DEEDS REGISTRATION. ANNUAL REPORT OF DEPARTMENT, 1939-40.

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

Head Office, Stamp Duties Office, Wellington, Ist June, 1940. 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, 1940. The returns appended show— A..—The business transacted under the Land Transfer Act. B.—The fees recoived thereunder, including the fees received on account of Crown grants. C.—The amount secured by mortgage under the said Act during the year, and the amount paid off during the year. D. —The arrears existing at the various Land Transfer Offices at the close of business on the 31st March, 1940. E.—The,number of deeds received for registration during the year ended, and the number remaining unrecorded on, the 31st March, 1940, also the fees received in the Deeds Registration Offices during the year. Business transacted. —Registration business has shown a decrease 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 the Otago District finality should be reached during 1941. Steady progress is being maintained in the Auckland District, but it is still too early to form an accurate estimate of when the work will be completed. The following table shows the amount of 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, 1940, £3,884 ; outstanding, £26,075. P. G. Pearce, Secretary for Lands and Deeds.

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Year ended 31st March, 1936. 1937. 1938. 1939. 1940. * Instruments 100,275 118,301 129,492 127,668 110,236 * Searches (Land Transfer Act only) .. 53,203 75,285 103,723 105,107 101,557 Fees, excluding fees under Compulsory £50,547 £59,396 £63,930 £62,440 £59,049 Registration Act, 1924- * These figures include registrations and searches in respect of which no fees are paid or are payable.

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A.—Statement of Business transacted under the Land Transfer Act during the Year ended 31st March, 1940.

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Applications. 061 CiOT^toams! 11 ° f * Transfers - Mortgages. Town and Suburban. Country. Area. Town and Suburban. Country. Town and Suburban. Country. District. — * 7— —; — — * | ; — : - I Area. Value. | Area. Value. | ||| Country. | Area. j f a - sideration. f A 163 - | | Area ' £SS5£ 5 5 a g a j ! 5 i i I A. s. r. £ Acres. £ Acres Acres. Acres. £ Acres. £ Acres. £ Acres. £ f Freehold .. 8,028 3,442 4,513,383 2,145 343,185 2,724,362 Auckland .. 7 6 0 0 5,015 6 102 3,420 727 243 66,602 ■<; Leasehold .. 264 63 131,617 131 24,163 52,440 : Miscellaneous 935 .. .- 438 .. 4,778 1,948 3,108,058 2,406 461,636 2,406,672 f Freehold .. 681 229 381,221 279 47,708 640,077 Taranaki .. .... .. .. .... .. 34 23 3,725 ■{ Leasehold .. 34 12 31,416 65 14,506 57,171 142 .. .. 149 .. .. 503 161 318,571 549 111,688 680,479 | Freehold .. 4,403 936 3,404,206 828 112,004 1,492,607 Wellington .. 1 0 0 14-75 50 . .. 10 110 32 6,146 .. 66 8 69,725 34 9,944 19,832 LMiscellaneous 755 .. .. 204 .. .. 3,262 696 2,311,676 908 233,357 1,388,746 f Freehold .. 707 377 407,257 127 24,304 326,597 Hawke'sBay .. .. .. 30 8 2,284 .. 49 19 26,920 33 11,154 31,953 L Miscellaneous 303 .. 85 .. .. 638 315 355,899 341 148,852 535,952 f Freehold .. 314 160 155,430 97 27,745 202,908 Gisborne .. .... .. 20 7 1,767 -< Leasehold .. 11 9 4,005 19 10,040 19,993 I Miscellaneous 65 .. 41 .. .. 216 110 125,969 156 128,321 348,812 f Freehold .. 460 117 226,487 209 100,911 185,079 Nelson .. ..4 0 3 0 320 15 3 1,277 Leasehold .. 51 14 14,664 29 4,279 6,391 L Miscellaneous 101 .. .. 68 .. .. 431 107 203,836 242 57,611 144,314 f Freehold .. 158 107 79,688 63 18,794 85,520 Marlborough .... .. .. 1 14 500 6 3 29 Leasehold .. 2 .. 80 15 13,921 12,864 I Miscellaneous 34 .. 32 .. 133 76 80,429 108 109,246 129,540 fFreehold .. 3,435 822 2,187,909 703 79,829 1,118,436 Canterbury .... .. 37 3 957 Leasehold .. 24 6 6,886 94 22,772 63,848 L Miscellaneous 668 .. .. 334 .. .. 2,583 634 1,645,412 868 228,389 1,169,416 Freehold .. 2,171 544 1,607,383 490 49,762 450,353 Otago .. .. 1 0 0 20- 450 .. .. .. 29 3 1,745 i Leasehold .. 55 45 36,283 55 24,582 37,922 I Miscellaneous 400 .. .. 192 .. .. 2,361 566 1,152,992 521 209,400 413,057 f Freehold .. 1,025 479 517,659 309 69,591 546,958 Southland .... .. 17 23 467 .. 30 14 16,708 62 24,378 60,083 f Miscellaneous 183 .. 70 .. .. 836 357 477,916 453 144,616 415,733 fFreehold .. 151 41 66,166 47 6,965 51,406 Westland .... .. 22 1 1,218 -{ Leasehold .. 77 17 37,021 27 4,601 10,469 37 .. .. 29 .. .. 198 65 98,631 56 12,540 55,405 fFreehold .. 21,533 7,254 13,546,789 5,297 880,798 7,824,303 Totals, 1939-40 13 7 0 0 5,835 7 116 3,930 1047 349 86,217 .. 663 207 375,325 564 164,340 372,966 LMiscellaneous 3,623 .. .. 1,642 .. .. 15,939 5,035 9,879,389 6,608 1,845,656 7,688,126 fFreehold .. 22,739 7,514 13,940,964 5,054 804,556 8,812,439 Totals, 1938-39 10 5 0 0 1,985. 7 1,364 6,262 659 196 58,193 s Leasehold .. 663 689 527,309 509 153,615 378,534 17,857 5,418 11,752,598 6,990 1,977,959 8,582,249 L Miscellaneous 3,677 .. 1,671 i * Miscellaneous transfers comprise all transfers which are not transfers of land on actual sale —i.e., transfers of land from trustees to beneficiaries or to new trustees, transfers of mortgages, easements, Ac.

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A.—Statement of Business transacted under the Land Transfer Act during the Year ended 31st March, 1940— continued.

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Discharges of § "jf Certificates of Title § '3 o > ® g «s Jo II !. «£M£ | i I 1 m J §?, °! H i! g J J ° torownGraDts) - I i ii § 5 °i§ i * ii! IN «L li 5 ,2 A mnnnt "e3®<~e3 e 3 2 S p< 2 S ® — "o ®~n c © tc ~i r. Amount. (q 0 © fJonrnnlsnTV i 3 ® & $ © o ®. > ® e3 w 2 M C o a)S-r< © o % I r r ggsm. others - 1 i i I r i i i bu g i r g r* r* r i_ £ £ s. d. Auckland .. .. .. .. 6,191 3,933,685 2 229 1,374 4,294 25 486 268 883 381 39 155 259 51,335 1,932 2 26 5,842 19,880 0 1 Taranaki .. .. .. .. 1,072 1,036,030 7 47 2 351 6 232 84 88 342 12 27 33 2,631 282 1 962 2,711 18 0 Wellington .. .. .. .. 3,978 2,868,889 .. 195 6 2,274 6 446 116 271 75 37 99 96 14,906 1,332 1 15 3,624 10,990 0 0 Hawke's Bay .. .. .. .. 945 900,336 .. 46 .. 382 3 182 24 87 97 7 32 15 3,227 315 2 1,039 2,533 6 6 Gisborne .. .. .. .. 418 358,622 .. 8 .. 205 .. 56 28 52 54 3 15 37 1,443 114 1 .. 400 1,104 16 0 Nelson .. .. .. .. 498 215,661 .. 25 2 399 2 60 43 112 33 27 18 35 2,693 199 .. .. 468 1,775 16 0 Marlborough .. .. .. .. 247 214,475 .. 12 3 70 10 28 18 42 5 5 14 1,327 109 .. .. 292 574 15 0 Canterbury .. .. .. .. 3,522 2,769,389 .. 121 2 1,400 4 206 131 259 102 28 84 41 12,400 1,236 .. 4 2,813 9,285 2 0 Otago * .. .. .. .. 2,454 1,116.265 .. 86 578 744 3 179 74 141 6 65 43 39 6,567 817 1 3 1,561 5,949 14 6 Southland .. .. .. .. 1,069 582.714 .. 27 .. 443 1 107 42 102 50 8 24 30 3,000 337 1 672 2,971 7 0 Westland .. .. .. .. 183 80,153 .. .. .. 133 1 38 58 33 1 4 2 18 2,028 81 .. .. 235 657 11 0 Totals, 1939—40 .. .. 20,577 14,076,219 9 796 1,967 10,695 51 2,002 896 2,046 1,183 235 504 617 101,557 6,754 5 52 17,908 58,434 6 1 Totals, 1938-39 .. .. 22,777 16,556,747 2 805 2,111 10,649 63 2,049 765 2,071 8,449 254 669 659 105,107 7,009 3 82 21,534 61,336 14 10 • I ;

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B. —Return of Fees received under the Land Transfer Act for the Year ended the 31st March, 1940.

C.—Return showing the Amount of Money secured by Mortgage under the Land Transfer Act during the Year ended 31st March, 1940, and the Amount paid off during the same Period.

Return showing Number and Amount of Mortgages under Land Transfer and Deeds Registry released in each District from Ist April, 1939, to 31st March, 1940. District. Number. Amount. £ Auckland .. .. .. .. .. 6,300 4,011,015 Taranaki .. .. .. .. .. 1,072 1,036,030 Wellington .. .. .. .. .. 3,981 2,870,489 Hawke's Bay .. .. .. .. .. 945 900,336 Gisborne .. .. .. .. .. 418 358,622 Nelson .. .. .. .. .. .. 503 216,328 Marlborough .. .. .. .. .. 247 214,475 Canterbury .. .. .. .. .. 3,522 2,769,389 Otago .. .. .. .. .. .. 2,465 1,119,550 Southland .. .. .. .. .. 1,069 582,714 Westland .. .. .. .. .. 183 80,153 Totals .. .. .. .. 20,705 14,159,101

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District. General Fees. v Compulsory registration ±ees. £ s. d. £ s. d. Auckland .. .. .. 19,880 0 1 2,431 5 0 Taranaki .. .. .. 2,71118 0 43 15 0 Wellington .. .. .. 10,990 0 0 132 10 0 Hawke's Bay .. .. .. 2,533 6 6 72 10 0 Gisborne .. .. .. 1,104 16 0 10 0 0 Nelson .. .. .. 1,775 16 0 111 5 0 Marlborough .. .. .. 574 15 0 71 5 0 Canterbury .. . . 9,285 2 0 101 5 0 Otago .. .. .. 5,949 14 6 870 0 0 Southland .. .. .. 2,971 7 0 32 10 0 Westland .. .. .. 657 11 0 7 10 0 Totals .. .. .. 58,434 6 1 3,883 15 0 Corresponding period, 1938-39 61,366 14 10 4,027 17 0 I '

Amount secured by Amount of District. Mortgage during Mortgage paid the Year ended off during the 31st March, 1940. same Period. £ £ Auckland .. .. .. 5,514,730 3,933,685 Taranaki .. .. .. 999,050 1,036,030 Wellington .. .. .. 3,700,422 2,868,889 Hawke's Bay .. .. .. 891,851 900,336 Gisborne .. .. .. 474,781 358,622 Nelson .. .. .. .. 348,150 215,661 Marlborough .. .. .. 209,969 214,475 Canterbury .. .. .. 2,814,828 2,769,389 Otago .. .. .. .. 1,566,049 1,116,265 Southland .. .. .. 893,649 582,714 Westland .. .. .. 154,036, 80,153 Totals .. .. .. 17,567,515 076,219

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D.-Return showing Arrears in the Land Transfer Department on the 31st March, 1940.

Other Instruments unregistered. District. Transfers. Mortgages. Miscellaneous. Auckland .. . .. .. .... Taranaki .. . . . . . .. .... 1 14 Wellington .. . .. .... Hawke's Bay .. ..1 1 3 Gisborne .. .. .. . .. 27 15 42 Nelson .. .. .. . . .. .... Marlborough .. .. .. .. .... .. 4 Canterbury .. .. .. .. ..6 4 8 Otago .. .. .. .. .. .. 36 21 28 Southland .. . . .. .. 17 15 21 Westland .. .. .. .. .. ..5 3 9 Totals .. .. .. .. 92 60 129

E.—Return showing the Number of Deeds remaining unrecorded on the 31st March, 1939; the Number received for Registration and the Number recorded during the Year ended 31st March, 1940; also the Number remaining unrecorded on that Date, and the Amount of Fees collected during the same Period.

Approximate Cotf of Paper,—Preparation, not given ; printing (485 copies), £9 10s.

By Authority: E. V. Paul, Government Printer, Wellington.—l94o. Price 6d.]

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Applications Applications Applications , i alreadv Unregistered Unregistered Applications awaiting detained mentioned! Instruments Instruments Certificates received District Compliance for i eived awaiting detained of previous to with Examination dnr 4 nff tj,e Compliance in the Title due but Current Requisi- in the Month w Survey not issued. Month not tions. Survey Office. t .. Requisitions. Office. yet passed. passed. Auckland ..16 .. 1 148 190 61 i Taranaki .... .. .. 3 6 6 Wellington .... .. .. 60 120 77 Hawke's Bay .... .. .. 17 7 16 Gisborne .. 1 .. .. 7 1 14 Nelson .... .. 1 26 23 Marlborough .. .. .. .. 10 .. .. 1 Canterbury .. 1 .. .. 20 8 21 Otago 1 .. .. 27 1 30 1 Southland .. j .. .. 19 26 31 Westland .... .. .. 14 .. 12 Totals .. j 19 .. 2 351 382 268 3

Received Unrecorded Regi?^tion Recorded Unrecorded District - 31st March, during the th^e ; il9t ° Maroh; Fees, inon Year ended t> • j i n , n 193() - 31st March, Perlod - 194 °- 1940. £ s. d. Auckland .. .. 24 635 658 ] 554 19 0 Taranaki .. .. .. . . 10 10 .. 8 7 0 Wellington .. .. .. .. 9 9 .. 569 Hawke's Bay Gisborne .. .. .. .. 3 3 .. 240 Nelson .. .. .. .. 17 17 .. 14 5 0 Marlborough Canterbury Otago .. .. .. 8 33 34 7 29 17 0 Southland Westland Totals .. .. 32 707 731 8 614 18 9