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ASG proposes drastic fee hikes for territorial registrar including land registration and matai titles

ASG Executive Office Building
fili@samoanews.com

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Fees currently charged for services offered by the Office of the Territorial Registrar would face drastic increases under a proposal in which public comments are being sought and need to be submitted no later than 4p.m. on Oct. 1, 2018.

The Territorial Registrar’s Office is one the agencies within the Department of Legal Affairs, headed by Attorney General Talauega Eleasalo V. Ale, which early this month issued a notice, as required by local law, the intended action of amending fees for service provided by the Territorial Registrar’s Office.

According to the notice, the proposed fee increases will be implemented on or after Oct. 22. It also says that written views or public comments must be addressed to the Territorial Registrar and include the commenter’s name, address, and contact number. It must clearly state the person’s position and address the specific fee associated with the position taken on the specific fee.

According to the proposed amendments, the fee for land registration will increase from the current $12 to $100; registration of matai titles will increase to $500 from the current $5; and registration fee for a Deed will go from $5 to $100.

The fee for registering a land lease and/or house lease will be a flat $100, which is the same proposed fee amount for Separation Agreements.

Talauega is yet to respond to Samoa News email inquiries sent last Thursday on background — when the fees were last raised and the reason(s) for the proposed fee increases.

A copy of the hikes are available at the Territorial Registrar’s Office in Fagatogo.

Copy of the AG’s Notice of Intended Action can be found at: <www.americansamoa.gov>