11.—3

1929. NEW ZEALAND.

LAND TRANSFER AND DEEDS REGISTRATION. ANNUAL REPORT OF DEPARTMENT, 1928-29.

Presen&ed to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

Head Office, Stamp Duties Department, Wellington, Ist August, 1929. The Hon. the Minister of Stamp Duties, Wellington. I have the honour to submit the usual report on the working of the Land Transfer and Deeds Registration Department for the year ended the 31st March, 1929. 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 Grown grants. G. —The mortgages and discharges of mortgages, and the amount remaining secured by mortgage under the said Act on the 31st March, 1929. 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. The work of bringing all titles to land under the provisions of the Land Transfer Act, as required by the Land Transfer (Compulsory Registration of Titles) Act, 1924, is being steadily proceeded with, and has been completed in the districts of Canterbury, Hawke's Bay, Gisborne, and Westland, with the exception of a few titles in each district that it has been considered unwise to deal with at present owing to grave doubt as to ownership or for some other reason. The work is nearing completion in several other districts. There were 5,491 more dealings registered than during the previous year, and registration fees amount to £1,372 less than for the previous year. The apparent anomaly is accounted for by the operation of the Compulsory Registration Act and the fact that registration under the Land Transfer Act is cheaper than under the Deeds Registration Act. 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, £6,720; outstanding, £19,583 15s. C. E. N ALDER, Registrar-General of Land, and Secretary for Land and Deeds.

Year ended 31st March, I I i | 1925. j 1926. i 1927. 1 1928 I 1929. Instruments .. .. . .. 168,523 188,622 158,883 139,375 14-2,552 Searches (Land Transfer Act only) .. 43,965 45,57 7 41,726 40,251 42,568 Fees, excluding fees under Compulsory £100,623 £106,526 £97,990 £86,604 £85,232 Registration Act, 1924.