Registrar-Generals-Department-Annual-report-1950 — Page 3

Library Book No. 351.06

:

PART I-LAND REGISTRY.

Deeds registration.

1. For the third successive year the total number of instruments registered under the Land Registration Ordinance, 1844, has surpassed all previous records. The total for 1949/50 was 6,814, which compares with 6,779 in 1948/49 and with a yearly average of 3,897 for 1934/1939, the six pre-war years included in Table I appended.

2.

There has however been some falling off, as compared with the figures for last year, in the total number of Assign- ments and Mortgages registered, the number of Assignments having fallen by 255 (91%), and Mortgages by 283 (17%). The aggregate amount of the consideration stated in the various instruments registered in the Land Office in 1949/50 showed a corresponding diminution the total figure being $284,575,573.35, which represents a decline of 91% as compared to last year's record total of $314,678,956.77.

3. In the case of Re-assignments of Mortgages however the figures show an increase of 269 (21%) as compared to the previous year and the number of Miscellaneous Documents also shows an increase of 252 (32%). Notwithstanding this increase in the number of Re-assignments of Mortgages the total amount due under Mortgages registered (ie. according to the amount of the Mortgage loan as stated in the documents themselves) showed a net increase of some $33,000,000. The increase in the total number of Miscellaneous Documents is accounted for chiefly by an increase of 235 in the number of Verandah and Balcony Undertakings under the Buildings Ordinance, 1935.

4. The totals of instruments registered in the last ten years for which figures are available are given in Table I. Table II gives details of the 6,814 instruments registered in 1949/50 according to their categories, and Table III gives details by months.

Crown Leases.

As foreshadowed in last year's report the number of Crown Leases issued in 1949/50 showed a substantial increase over the number for 1948/49, the figures being 247 and 86 respectively. There was a corresponding increase in the aggregate amount of fees collected under this head, the total being $32,665 as compared with $10,045 for the previous year.

Table IV shows the number of Leases issued in 1949/50 by localities, and the monthly totals of fees collected for Crown Leases issued in 1949/50, can be seen from Table V. The

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