XN000022-1993-12-15 — Page 43

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1993

28

NO INTERFERENCE IN PRIVATE LAND MATTERS

CASES

MATTERS MAY

WHEN THE

THE GOVERNMENT WOULD NOT NORMALLY INTERVENE IN PRIVATE

AND BETWEEN

OCCUPIERS, ESPECIALLY LANDOWNERS EVENTUALLY GO BEFORE THE COURTS.

HOWEVER, THE LOCAL DISTRICT LANDS OFFICES CLARIFYING THE STATUS OF LANDS.

WILL ASSIST

IN

ENVIRONMENT

AND THE HON

THIS WAS STATED BY THE SECRETARY FOR PLANNING, LANDS, MR TONY EASON, IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY ZACHARY WONG WAI-YIN IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

OF MR EASON SAID THE GOVERNMENT WAS AWARE THAT THE OCCUPIERS

NOTICES FROM THOSE SOME LANDS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES HAD RECEIVED CLAIMING TO BE THE OWNERS, SEEKING TO RECOVER POSSESSION OF THE LAND.

A HE SAID IT APPEARED THAT THESE NOTICES WERE SENT BECAUSE OF COURT CASE IN LATE LAST YEAR WHICH DREW THE OWNERS' ATTENTION TO THEIR LEGAL POSITION.

WHO

OF 20

UNDER THE LIMITATION ORDINANCE, A PERSON

OCCUPIES LAND WITHOUT THE PERMISSION OR KNOWLEDGE OF THE OWNER FOR A PERIOD YEARS MAY HAVE A CLAIM OF "ADVERSE POSSESSION" AGAINST THE OWNER.

IN OTHER WORDS, THE OWNER MAY NOT BE ABLE TO RECOVER POSSESSION OF HIS LAND.

OF NEW "THESE CASES MAY HAVE ARISEN NOW BECAUSE THE MAJORITY TERRITORIES LEASES, ORIGINALLY GRANTED FOR A STANDARD TERM OF 75 YEARS

UP ΤΟ

WERE A RIGHT OF RENEWAL FOR 24 YEARS FROM 1898

1997, WITH RENEWED BY THE NEW TERRITORIES (RENEWABLE CROWN LEASES ORDINANCE 1969 WITH EFFECT FROM 1973.

**

IN

NOW

RUNNING TO ATTENTION

THE

*THE PERIOD OF 20 YEARS FROM THE RENEWAL DATE IS AND A COURT CASE IN LATE 1992 HAD DRAWN THE POSITION," HE SAID.

OUT

THE NOTING THAT THESE ARE ESSENTIALLY PRIVATE MATTERS BETWEEN

DID NOT LAND OWNERS AND THE OCCUPIERS, MR EASON SAID THE GOVERNMENT KNOW THERE WERE HOW MANY SUCH CASES, OR DETAILS OF THE SPECIFIC PIECES OF LAND, EXCEPT WHEN THE PEOPLE AFFECTED HAD SOUGHT ASSISTANCE.

BEEN ISSUED

MR

IN A FEW CASES, THE OCCUPIERS WERE FOUND TO HAVE CROWN LAND LICENCES WHEN THEY ARE IN FACT OCCUPYING PRIVATE LAND, EASON SAID.

"THIS HAS ARISEN LARGELY BECAUSE OF THE INACCURACY ORIGINAL LAND SURVEYS CONDUCTED IN THE EARLY 1900's.

OF THE

"WHENEVER SUCH CASES COME TO LIGHT, THE GOVERNMENT WILL THE LICENCES AND REFUND ALL FEES PAID IN RESPECT OF THEM.

CANCEL

MR

SAID THE LOCAL DISTRICT LANDS OFFICES EASON OCCUPIERS

IN CLARIFYING THE STATUS OF OR OWNERS POSSIBLE IN THE PARTICULAR CIRCUMSTANCES.

WOULD LAND AS

ASSIST FAR

AS

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