Registrar-Generals-Department-Annual-report-1971-1972 — Page 25

(Apportionment) Ordinance. Thereafter each of the co-owners will be liable to the Crown only for the amounts apportioned on his share or shares.

43. In connection with all Conditions of Sale, Regrant, Exchange, etc., close liaison is maintained with the Colonial Secretariat and the Crown Lands and Survey Office, and as far as possible all major questions arising in the course of scrutiny are discussed and decided at weekly meetings of the Director of Lands and Survey, the Principal Assistant Colonial Secretary (Lands) and the Assistant Registrar General in charge of the Land Office. After the terms have been agreed, the Land Office is responsible for settling the Conditions and having them duly executed, registered and issued.

44. The New Territories Section of the Registrar General's Depart- ment, described in paragraph 49, scrutinized and commented on 379 draft Conditions of Sale etc. relating to New Territories lots.

Sale of Flats in Uncompleted Buildings

45. The Conditions of Sale of new lots and Exclusion Orders made under the Landlord and Tenant Ordinance after 20th December 1961 contain clauses prohibiting the owners from entering into agree- ments for the sale of units in uncompleted buildings without the prior consent of the Registrar General (Land Officer) and then only in conformity with any conditions imposed by him. During the year, 258 applications for such consent were received, and 199, including some received in 1970-71, were approved on certain conditions. These figures were up by 49 and four respectively as compared with the previous year's figures. 43 applications were withdrawn and 48 were pending at the end of the year.

Modification of Lease Covenants

46. Before the war many lots were sold with height and other restrictions which are, under the changed conditions of modern Hong Kong, no longer considered necessary. There are therefore many cases in which Government is prepared to grant modifications of the original restrictions on terms usually including the payment of an additional premium. During the year 79 applications for modifica- tions were received, 14 less than in 1970-71. Questions arising out of the applications are normally discussed and decided at the meetings mentioned in paragraph 43.

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