The Gazette 1967/71

made to the Minister to repeal these Sections. It must be remembered when these Acts were en acted, rents were very small and bear no relation whatever to the rents now obtaining. Yours sincerely, T. G. McVeagh & Co.

ments, changes or adaptations which the require ments of the Land Registry will dictate from time to time. An example of the matters which the group is examining, and which will be of particular interest to some Deputies, is the system of paying for the services rendered by the Land Registry. I have asked the group to recommend suitable arrangements for the introduction of a system of direct payment in cash in substitution for the existing system of payment by way of Revenue stamps. 74. Deputies will see, from what I have said, that I am determined to mould the Land Registry into an organisation which will be capable of discharging efficiently and expeditiously the vital service which it is providing. The job is all the more urgent in the light of the initial introduction, on the ist January, 1970, of compulsory registration of title into the counties of Carlow, Louth and Meath. I hope that it will be possible to extend compulsory registration to other areas without undue delay.

CONVEYANCING COSTS

With reference to your last Sunday's article, "Cutting down on solicitors' costs", I would in vite you to study the following table: Comparisons of transactions and costs 1. Sale of antique silver worth £8,000 Leading London auctioneer's com mission ................................. £800 Sale of ordinary stocks and shares worth £8,000 Stockbroker's commission ............ £100 Sale of £8,000 house. Solicitor's scale charges. (a) if title unregistered .................. £90 (b) if title registered ........................ £55 0 If you also have any knowledge of (and care to bear in mind) the respective amounts of both work and responsibility undertaken by the above pro fessions, you may perhaps be led to wonder where any "cutting down" really ought to come. Alderley Edge. W. T. Curtis. BIG CHANGES IN TENANTS' LEASE RIGHTS Important changes in the leasehold renewal rights and purchase rights of certain classes of tenants were passed recently by the Government. The Minister for Justice, Mr. Moran, was given the green light to draw up a Bill implement ing the changes, and this Bill is expected to come before the Dail in the next few months. The changes are regarded as so important by the Government, however, that they decided to backdate the Bill (no matter how long it takes to pass it) to 3rd March 1970. This means that any benefits extended in the new legislation will apply to anyone who was a tenant on 3rd March, even though his tenancy might have expired. The Bill will deal with the question of extending leasehold renewal rights and the right of pur chasing the fee simple to new classes of tenants The new classes would include, for instance, sporting bodies of various kinds. 152 2. 3. 4. Sale of £8,000 house Estate agent's commission ...... £182 10

13th March, 1970

The Secretary,

Incorporated Law Society of Ireland, Solicitors' Buildings, Four Courts, Dublin 7. Dear Mr. Plunkett,

I would like to draw your attention to the question of lettings to Charitable Organisations by virtue of which the tenant is exempt from rating by reason of being a Charitable Body. How ever, the Landlord or Lessor as the case may be is liable to pay rates based on half the rent received from the Charitable Organisation and in many cases this can amount to a very considerable sum far in excess of what the ordinary rate would be if the letting or lease was made to an ordinary tenant. As far as I can ascertain the provisions of the Poor Rate Act and the Valuation Act passed in the middle of the 19th Century have not been repealed in this respect, and while it is true that a carefully worded covenant can be inserted into the Tenancy Agreement or Lease whereby the tenant indemnifies the Landlord against payment of all rates and taxes whether assessable on the Landlord or not, nevertheless, the provision of these Acts seem to be an unnecessary hardship both on the tenant and the landlord. It could well be that some of our Colleagues are not conversant with these provisions and might well leave a client acting as a Landlord or Lessor in the position where he would have to meet a considerable sum for rates, for which the tenant could not be made liable by reason of being a Charitable Organisa tion. It might be worth considering the inclusion of a suitable note in some issue of the Gazette and indeed it might also be worth the Council considering whether representations should be