Registrar-Generals-Department-Annual-report-1970-1971 — Page 33

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During the year two such Memoranda, being Nos. 36 and 37 in the series, were issued. New Solicitors are supplied with back numbers on request.

Crown Rents

63. Tables IX and X give details of the numbers of lots on the Principal and Village Rent Rolls. The number of lots on the Principal Rent Roll increased by 227 to 24,299 and the total Crown rent by $390,381 to $4,932,392.

64. The number of lots on the Village Rent Roll, totalling 1,091, produced only $969 per annum, most of the rents being less than $1. In order to reduce the cost of collection, Demand Notes for rents of less than $5 per annum are now issued every five years instead of annually. The last five-yearly collection was for the five years ending 30th September 1969.

Apportionment of Crown Rent and Premium

65. The Crown Rents (Apportionment) Ordinance was repealed during the year and replaced by the Crown Rent and Premium (Apportionment) Ordinance 1970, which came into effect on 8th May 1970 (see paragraph 190). Subject to any directions given by the Governor, the Land Officer has power under the new Ordinance to apportion, between the owners of the sections (or other divisions) into which a lot has been divided or between the owners of flats or other units in a building, the Crown rent and premium payable in respect of the lot. One of the effects of an apportionment of Crown rent and premium on a section is that the section is then deemed to be held under a separate Crown lease containing the same terms and conditions as the Crown lease of the whole lot, subject to a covenant to pay the determined Crown rent and the determined annual instalment of premium instead of the Crown rent and premium payable under the Crown lease of the whole lot. An apportionment of Crown rent and premium on a relevant interest (i.e. an undivided share in the land on which a building stands and the premises in that building to which it relates) replaces the collective liability of all the owners for payment of the whole Crown rent and premium payable in respect of the land with a liability on the individual owner of the relevant interest to pay direct to the Crown the determined Crown rent and the determined annual instalment of premium in respect of his relevant interest only.

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