Mexborough & Swinton Times – Saturday 17 December 1921
A Tangled Question.
On Tuesday at the Doncaster West Riding Police Court the magistrates had before them again a case in which the Conisboro’ Overseers sought to, recover £10 1s. 8d rates from Lily Maddison, and Gertrude Sherriff, married women of Conisboro’.
Mr. Carlile for the defendants mentioned that the case had been previously adjourned to allow an arrangement to be come to, but so far as he knew they were no nearer a settlement. The case had been before, the Bench on two previous secessions, when the facts, were fully gone into. Their defence was that as they had only occupied a portion of the premises rated they should only be called upon to pay the rates in respect to these premises.
On the last occasion the magistrates refused to make an order but adjourned it to allow of an adjustment to he made, but so far as he knew the collector had made no attempt to get the matter settled. He therefore asked them to dismiss the ease.
Mr. Jesse Hill, the assistant overseer, said his point was that they were not allowed to alter the rate book after it had been made up, and that as the defendants were entered on the rate hook they were responsible for the rates. There had been no appeal.
An alteration had been made for the future, for the defendants were not now residing there. There were two shops, one a fish and chip and potato shop and the other a boot repairer’s.
Mr. Carlile explained that the property formerly belonged to Mr. Jno. Stonehouse, now deceased. He died intestate, and the premises reverted to his wife during her lifetime. She had died and the eldest son, now in America, was the heir.
Under power of attorney a Sheffield firm of solicitors were acting for him and they were receiving the rents in relation to the property. Mrs. Sherriff, the daughter, formerly lived with her mother, and Mrs. Maddison occupied part of the house, the two shops being separately let, and had no communication with the I house. Their point was that they should not be called upon to pay the rates of the portions of the premises which they had nothing at all to do with, and from which they received no benefit whatever.
The magistrates made an order for the defendants to pay a third of the rates.