tion at its own Headquarters. It is staffed by a Senior Legal Assistant, a part-time Legal Assistant, an Assistant Registrar and two experienced Land Office clerks.
Crown Leases
49. When the purchaser or grantee of Crown land has complied with all the conditions of the sale or grant, he becomes entitled to a Crown lease of the lot and has to take up the lease when called upon by the Land Officer to do so. In many cases, however, the Land Office finds it difficult to persuade owners to take up their Crown leases when ready. This is because the taking up of a Crown lease involves an owner in a certain amount of trouble and expense. Although the standard fee for a Crown lease is only $175, it is necessary where there is a mortgage or other incumbrance on the property to employ a Solicitor to clear the title and reinstate the mortgage or incumbrance after issue. Since the Crown is the lessor, the vast majority of owners are usually content to allow their title to rest on the Conditions of Sale, Regrant, Exchange, etc., on which they hold their property, and such titles are in practice universally recognized as good marketable titles.
50. Notwithstanding the reluctance of many owners to take up their Crown leases, the number of Crown leases issued in 1967-68 rose to 438, the highest total in any post-war year.
51. The lots for which leases were issued were of the following categories:
Hong Kong Island
Inland Lots, Hong Kong
Aberdeen Inland Lots
Rural Building Lots
Shaukiwan Inland Lots
Chai Wan Inland Lot Stanley Inland Lot
Kowloon
Kowloon Inland Lots Hung Hom Inland Lots Miscellaneous
New Kowloon
New Kowloon Inland Lots Kwun Tong Inland Lots
Yau Tong Marine Lots Yau Tong Inland Lots
New Kowloon Marine Lot Miscellaneous
:
44
18
17
+12=
1
179
6
...
1
121
34
4
2
1221
1
7
18
438