Figure 84: Te Aroha township lands

In January 1886, the domain board was anxious to extend the reserve area. Land purchase officer Wilkinson was asked to conduct negotiations and began by getting George Lipsey to use his influence with his in-laws, the Mokena whanau who owned section 15. By April, four of the owners (Ranapia Mokena, Raima Te Hemoata, Rewi Mokena, and Hare Renata) had agreed to sell approximately 46 acres at £5 per acre. In July 1886, a notice of intention was published to remove restrictions on alienation which had been imposed on the block by the Native Land Court in 1878.⁴² By the end of the year, the remaining living owners had agreed to sell.

By this time, both Te Mokena Hou and Rina Mokena, his wife, had died. In October 1886, the Native Land Court determined the successors of Te Mokena Hou to be Rewi Mokena and Ema Ripihia (Lipsey), but could not make a determination for Rina Mokena because she had made a will setting up George Lipsey and his wife Ema as trustees for their daughter, Ani Ripihia (Annie Lipsey), until she could inherit her interests at the age of 21 years. If she did not survive then the property reverted to her siblings and the trust endured until all reached 21 years. The legal complications of this trust prevented the Crown completing the purchase although all other interests had been acquired. This was resolved by statute

42.‘Notice under the Native Land Laws Amendment Act 1883’, New Zealand Gazette, 1886, no 44, p 1021