CO129-595-5 Validity of registration of land during Japanese occupation 1-1-1945 - 31-12-1946 — Page 11

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In

Occupation transaction or for any purpose except to check

applications for house registration, a cross reference being

entered in our Land Office Registers. Such cross reference

would lead a person searching to the Japanese Registers.

the interest of commerce, it was considered desirable to life

the moratorium on dealings in land unaffected during the

Occupation. To this end, it was decided that all dealings

during the Occupation should be entered into our old Registers

in GREEN ink in the proper place where such entries would have

been made had they occurred in normal times. Use of the green

ink (never before used in the Registers) enables the person

searching to see at once that the Reassignment or sale was one

which occurred during the Occupation, and its absence that the

property was not dealt with during the Occupation.

2. DEEDS SENT TO LAND OFFICE BEFORE THE WAR.

In December, 1941, there were several deeds in this

Office which had been sent by solicitors for registration.

Some of these deeds had not yet been scrutinized by the Land

Officer at the outbreak of war, but, after the surrender, were

returned by the Japanese Authorities to the owners or solicitors

on application. With the permission of the Japanese, these

particular transactions were entered into our old registers.

The position with regard to these deeds is that they bear mem-

orial numbers but no signature of the Land Officer. It is now

suggested that all these deeds should, where possible, be

recalled so that their registration may be made in accordance

with the practice here in this Office. Particulars of the deeds

will be sent to the solicitors concerned so that they may be

able to communicate with their clients.

3.

RESTRICTION ON PROPERTIES DEALT WITH DURING

THE OCCUPATION.

There were about five thousand transactions in land

during the Japanese Occupation. Of these, it is anticipated

that less than one tenth will be challenged. It is neverthe-

less felt that the Administration cannot be expected to decide

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