Registrar-Generals-Department-Annual-report-1971-1972 — Page 32

Card Indexes of Owners and Mortgagees

62. Besides complete card indexes to all lots and sections of lots, the Land Office maintains an index, not open to the public, of all persons registered as the owner or mortgagee of land in the Colony. According to this, on 31st March 1972 there were 204,401 landowners (excluding mortgagees) an increase of 13,158 over the previous year's total. Many of these own several properties, many simply a small undivided share in a property coupled with the right to a flat. Table VIII shows the growth of the number of landowners (excluding mortgagees) by more than 135,000 from 69,023 in 1962-63 to 204,401 in 1971-72. The figures, however, cannot be taken as completely accurate since it is possible that the holdings of two people with identical names, both in romanized form and in Chinese characters, may be on the same card.

Safe Custody of Deeds, Wills, etc.

63. Under section 22 of the Land Registration Ordinance deeds, wills, etc., may be deposited in the Land Office for safe custody. A fee of $15 is normally payable in respect of each document so de- posited, but where two or more instruments relate to the same property the charge is $15 for the first instrument and $2 for each additional instrument. 16 deposits were made during the year.

Liaison with Legal Profession

64. From time to time the Land Office issues Circular Memoranda to all Solicitors on matters of land policy and Land Office practice. 37 such Memoranda have been issued, though none was issued during 1971-72. New Solicitors are supplied with back numbers on request.

Crown Rents

65. 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 196 to 24,495 and the total Crown rent by $3.65m. to $8.58m.

66. The number of lots on the Village Rent Roll, totalling 1,091, produces 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.

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