Council Vsluation on Mission Property Reviewed, The Municipal Council on November 25 confirmed the recommendation of the Rate Assessors to reduce the valuation for Municipal rating purposes of the new pre of the Augustinian Procuration at 110 Avenue Road, which include a private chapel and bedrooms for priests temporarily in Shanghai. Dr. Wilhelm on behalf of the Augustinian Procaration, "the owners of the property, stated to the Bate Assowors at their sitting on November 20, that their protest against the assessment based on a monthly rental of is. 560 was on the ground. that this assessment was out of all. proportion to. that placed on adjoining: properties. In Support of this contention, he proddaced a list of rentals paid in respect of the premises referred (0, The type of development of house No, 110 differed greatly from that of an ordinary residence inasmuch us the upper floor contained a number of very small" bedrooms cubicles which were provided for the temporary accommodation priests belonging to. the Order during their brief sojourns in Shanghai. Moreover, one large Foam on the ground floor was designed as a private. chapel and used exclusively for that purpose.' In the opinion of the owners, it was unlikely that a monthly rental of more than Tis, 900 could be obtained if this house were leased.
They, therefore, petitioned that the aansorament be based on this figure.
Replying to the Chairman (fr. A. P. Nazer), Dr. Wilhelm stated that the total' cost of the building, including extras, did not exceed 000. ouneil, Mr. R. S, Winter submitted that for assessment pur poses comparison with the neighbouring properties was inequitable, the latter properties being old and due for early demolition, The condition of these houses was such that they could not command high rentals. As house No, 110 was occupied by the owners it was dificult to estimate what rental it would command if leased, owing to its. particular and—comparatively expensive type of development. He, therefore, submitted that. the only basis for assessment was the rental which the owners. would be called upon to pay if they leased these promises instead of erecting such a building for their own occupation. 'The Council had accepted the owners' figure as the cost of the building although the contractor had stated that this figure would be S. exceeded.
Dr. Wilhelm agreed that the neighbouring properties referred to were of old construction; at the same time he submitted that the respective assessments were dis-Proportionate, He was unable to agree that the assessment on this new building should be based on construction costs since the pro-jon of numerous small bedrooms 'a chapel involved considerable additional expenditure which had, of necessity, to be incurred to meet the specific' requirements of the owner-occupiers. He, therefore, submitted that this building could not be placed in the same category as one which had been designed for ordinary residential purposes and in respect of which the owner would naturally expect a reasonable rate of return on his investment.
After discuss it was unanimously recommended that for assessment purposes the monthly rental figure be reduced to Tls. 490.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.