XN000022-1974-05-17 — Page 4

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FRIDAY, MAY 17, 1974

REVISION OF PAYMENT PROCEDURES FOR CERTAIN CROWN RENTS

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CROWN RENTS NOT EXCEEDING $100 A YEAR MAY NOW BE PAID EVERY FIVE YEARS INSTEAD OF EVERY SIX MONTHS, UNDER A NOTICE PUBLISHED IN TODAY'S GAZETTE.

APART FROM BEING MORE ECONOMICAL, THE NEW PROCEDURE MEANS THAT OWNERS WILL NOT BE TROUBLED WITH DEMANDS FOR SMALL AMOUNTS AT FREQUENT INTERVALS.

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE ENVIRONMENT BRANCH OF THE COLONIAL SECRETARIAT EXPLAINED THAT CROWN RENTS WOULD NOW BE COLLECTED IN ARREAR AT FIVE-YEAR INTERVALS, BUT THOSE OWNERS WHO WISH TO CONTINUE PAYING EVERY SIX MONTHS MAY STILL DO SO.

CITING AN EXAMPLE, THE SPOKESMAN SAID THE NEXT DEMAND WILL BE MADE IN JUNE 1979 FOR CROWN RENTS WHICH WILL FALL DUE ON AND AFTER JUNE 24 THIS YEAR UP TO AND INCLUDING JUNE 24, 1979. AFTERWARDS, FURTHER DEMANDS WILL BE ISSUED IN THE MONTH OF JUNE AT FIVE-YEARLY INTERVALS.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT A SIMILAR PROCEDURE HAS BEEN IN FORCE FOR VILLAGE LOTS ON HONG KONG ISLAND SINCE 1960 AND IN THE NEW TERRITORIES SINCE 1969.

THIS HAS NOW BEEN EXTENDED TO LOTS IN THE URBAN AREA IN HONG KONG, KOWLOON AND NEW KOWLOON CEXCLUDING LOTS REGISTERED IN A DISTRICT LAND OFFICE).

ALTHOUGH CROWN RENTS NEED ONLY BE PAID ON ISSUE OF DEMAND NOTES OR NOTICES, ANY OWNER WHO STILL WISHES TO PAY HIS RENT HALF-YEARLY MAY DO SO BY PAYING IN AT THE TREASURY REVENUE ̈ BRANCH, CENTRAL GOVERNMENT OFFICES (WEST WING, 2ND FLOOR), ICE HOUSE STREET, HONG KONG, HE SAID.

THOSE WHO WANT TO FOLLOW THE MORE CONVENIENT NEW PROCEDURE, HOWEVER, ARE ADVISED TO MAKE PROVISION FOR PAYMENT OF THE FULL AMOUNT DUE AT THE END OF EACH FIVE-YEAR INTERVAL.

PEOPLE WHO ARE BUYING PROPERTY, ESPECIALLY FLATS, ARE ALSQ ASKED TO NOTE THAT THEY MAY BE REQUIRED TO PAY SOME ARREARS OF CROWN RENT. FOR THE PROPERTY WHEN THE NEXT FIVE-YEARLY PAYMENT DATE ARRIVES, DEPENDING ON THE DATE OF PURCHASE.

THE SPOKESMAN POINTED OUT THAT THE GOVERNMENT RESERVES THE RIGHT TO DEMAND ALL CROWN RENT DUE AT ANY TIME IF IT SEES FIT TO DO SO, AND TO RE-ENTER UPON THE LAND OR VEST THE RELEVANT INTEREST IF DEFAULT IS MADE IN PAYMENT.

+CROWN RENTS EXCEEDING $100 A YEAR WILL CONTINUE TO BE COLLECTED HALF-YEARLY ON THE DATES DUE AS IN THE PAST, + HE ADDED.

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