Sales by Mortgagees
59. For the past six years the Land Office has kept records of advertise- ments published of sales of land by mortgagees in exercise of their power of sale. The numbers of cases advertised were as follows:
Whole Lots/Sections
Undivided Shares
Urban
New Territories
Urban
New Territories
1965-66 1966-67
76
32
71
5
77(12)
24
119
1
1967-68
76(16)
16
118
5
1968-69
64(35)
17
71
1
1969-70
50(28)
20
77(7)
4
1970-71
23(3)
17(1) ·
29(2)
1
Figures in parenthesis indicate the number of cases advertised by order of The Colonial Treasurer Incorporated as chargee under the Demolished Buildings (Re-development of Sites) Ordinance.
Card Indexes of Owners and Mortgagees
60. Besides complete card indexes to all lots and sections of lots, the Land Office maintains an index, not open to the public, of all persons registered as the owner or mortgagee of land in the Colony. According to this, on 31st March 1971 there were 191,243 landowners (excluding mortgagees), an increase of 14,447 over the pervious year's total. Many of these own several properties, many simply a small undivided share in a property coupled with the right to a flat. Table VIII shows the growth of the number of landowners (excluding mortgagees) by more than 128,000 from 62,406 in 1961-62 to 191,243 in 1970-71. The figures, however, cannot be taken as completely accurate since it is possible that the holdings of two people with identical names, both in romanized form and in Chinese characters, may be on the same card.
Safe Custody of Deeds, Wills, etc.
61. Under Section 22 of the Land Registration Ordinance deeds, wills, etc., may be deposited in the Land Office for safe custody. A fee of $15 is normally payable in respect of each document so deposited, but where two or more instruments relate to the same property the charge is $15 for the first instrument and $2 for each additional instrument. Five deposits were made during the year.
Liaison with Legal Profession
62. From time to time the Land Office issues Circular Memoranda to all Solicitors on matters of land policy and Land Office practice.
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