New Territories Administration totalled thirty-five, the same as last
year.
New Territories Section
49. The New Territories Section of the Registrar General's Department established in November 1962 to give on the spot legal advice to the New Territories Administration at its own Headquarters continued to operate in this capacity throughout the year. It is staffed by a Senior Legal Assistant and an experienced Land Office clerk. On Saturdays the Senior Legal Assistant returns to Departmental Headquarters to attend the weekly Departmental Legal Conferences and to maintain close liaison with the Land Office on New Territories problems. Since 22nd July 1964 a Legal Assistant has also been assigned two days a week to assist in this Section.
Crown Leases
50. When the purchaser or grantee of Crown land has complied with all the conditions of the sale or grant, he becomes entitled to a Crown lease of the lot and has to take up the lease when called upon by the Land Officer to do so. In many cases, however, the Land Office finds it difficult to persuade owners to take up their Crown leases when ready. This is because the taking up of a Crown lease involves an owner in a certain amount of trouble and expense. Although the standard fee for a Crown lease is only $175, it is necessary where there is a mortgage or other incumbrance on the property to employ a Solicitor to clear the title and reinstate the mortgage or incumbrance after issue. Since the Crown is the lessor, the vast majority of owners are usually content to allow their title to rest on the Conditions of Sale, Regrant, Exchange, etc., on which they hold their property, and such titles are in practice universally recognized as good marketable titles.
51. Marked progress was nevertheless made in the issue of Crown leases during the year. As shown in Table III, the number of Crown leases issued in 1964-65 rose sharply to 199, the sixth highest figure in the postwar years and only fourteen short of the combined total for the previous four years.
52. The lots for which leases were issued were of the following cate- gories:
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