Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1856-04-01
Re sse ament of Lands.
4 Bill Proriding for a Re-assessmtnt Of fhe
lands the Commonwealth.
Passed March 10. ls56

| June terms. to appoint proper persons 10 hssees
the value of all lands and lots, together with The
| improvements thereon. within their respective
counties and corporations provided. that there
| shall be but one assessor for each corporation.
| and for each county many Is there are com
missioners of the revenue for the same end M.
/ person shall be appointed assessor for any eonn-
| ty or corporation who Is not resident ana n
| freebooter in the same. In those counties ~
which two or more assessors hre to be appointed,
| the court shall appoint one for each parish or
district to which n commissioner Of the revenue
is assigned.
?. Each assessor. before entering upon The
duties of his Office shall in open court execution
| bond, with such security tho court stall ap-
| point. in the penalty of five thousand doll ars
conditioned for the faithful performance ri the
duties of his office; and shall moreover take an
oath in open court or before justice OF tho
peace, that he will faithfully. impartialy ant to
the best of his skill and understanding, exc cute
all the duties of his office according to l''w.
"a J. The Register of the Land Office, as ot'n rs
possible after the passage OF this act, shall Tor
ward to the Clerk IF each County and Corpora
ton Court, list Of all grants Of land With n his
County or Corporation, issued between tb tliriy-
first day of December, eighteen hund red and
fifty five. and tho time of making out such list;
and il shall be the duty Of Ike Clerk, wit ho at I'M
necessary delay. to deliver to the Asses sor OF
such county or corporation the sad lists OF grants
with a copy of the land book for his county or
corporation for the year 1855. and "a list OF the
conyeyances recorded since the said book was
made out. In any county in which there shall
be more Assessors than the Clerk SIR vi FUR
nish to each of them, copy OF the list OF grants
and of the land book. and also n list OF convey
ances as aforesaid for the pa,ish or district Tor
which he is appointed. For the seryi cos afore
said tho Clerk shall receive such com pe'1sniion
US the Court of his county or corpore ton may
lt.t a1.1il In ntph rn nj
in aud paid out of the first county or @ ,rporation
levy irade after the services shall have been
rendered; aud any Clerk who shall I all to per-
form any duty hereby enjoned upon him. shall
be fined, for the use Of tho Literary fu nd, sum
not exceeding one hundred dollars, at he discre-
ton Of jury.
4. The said assessors shall mmedin tely after
their appointment, proceed to examin all the
lands aud lots. with the improvements thereon,
with their respective counties. district and cor
porations and shall upon such examir alto II AS
certain and assess the cash value there OF. And
IT, at any timr, tho court shall be salts fled that
any assessor appointed under this act, VIII not,
or thnt from any cause lac cannot perform tho
duties devolved on him within the time her oinaf
ter prescribed, it may wholly supersedo him and
appoint another in his place appoint ''ne or
more assistants to aid him in his dut es, rs it
shall deem most expedient; but before any per-
son thus appointed shall enter upon the du les of
his office, he shall take the oath and exc Gu to the
bond with such penalty rs tho court shrJl fix,
prescribed in the second section: Provided, how
ever that the cash value of tho lands lots and
improvements thereon shall be fixed by first as
certaining the value upon the usual credits in the
neighborhood. and Relating legal interest when
interest ia not usually allowed such cred IS or
deferred payments
s. Any person feeling himself aggrieved by
the assessment of his lands or lots. matle Under
tho provisions of this act MAJ, upon giving Office
to the assessor, apply to the court of his co unity
or corporation, at the first, or second or third
term nftes such asse ssment has been made. and
not after to have the assessment of his Ian ds or
lots corrected; which notice shall be in writing.
and shall have appended thereto an affidavit that,
in the opinion Of tho atliant, tho assessne ut Of
his lands lots is above the true value the reol,
which affidavit may be sworn to by the owner, or
| his duly authorized agent. In all sach opplca-
TONS il shall be the duty of the Attorney for tho
| Commonwealth in such court, 10 attend to tho
| interest of the Commonwealth ; and it the courts
shall be satisfied that the assessment is too high,
| they shall reduce the same to what IL, III their
opinion the true value of such lands or lots; but
if they shall BIO of the opinion that the assess
| ment is too low then they shall increase it in
like manner; and such application shall have
precedence over all other causes pending IN said
| courts. In any case in which the owner of lands
| or lots or his agent, shall be dissatisfied with
the value assessed, because il Is too low, the as
SCISSOR shall adopt tho estimate of the owner or
his agent; but in cases of appeal from the decis-
| ion of the assessor to the county court as herein
provided for cost shall not be taxed for or against
the appellant or the Commonw ealth.
| G. As soon as tho assessors shall huye compile
ted the assessment in their respective counties,
districts and corporations, and shall have con
formed the same in all controverted cases to the
action of the court. the said assessors shall each
make out two copies of his assessment in the
| form in which the land books are now made out
! and shall certify on oath that no lots or lands
are omitted, and that there errors appa-
rent on its face, and of these copies so certified
ono shall be filed and preserved in .ho Clerk Is
office of the country or corporation and the 9th
or forwarded by mail OF other safe convey
ance to the Auditor of Public Accounts at Rich
mond, on or before the fir. day Of October. eigh-
teen hundred and 6fty-s Each assessor who
shall fail to comply with any requisition of this
section shall forfeit all right to compensation for
his services. II shall be the duty of the
Auditor of Public Accounts. as soon as
practicable after the passage of this act, to pre-
pare proper forms Of returns with blanks TO be
filled up by the assessors. and instructions and
cause the same to be printed. and forward suf
fcient number If copies for the of the asses
sors to the clerks OF the court, of the seyera
counties and corporations.
| T. Each Assor aud assistant assessor shall
receive the sum Of two dollars and fifty cents fo
each day he shall be necessarily employed in th,
execution Of the duties Of his office. Their nc
counts shall be made out, verified, certified an,
paid out of the public treasury, after the l5tl
day Of Japasry 1867, in the manner prescribe,
by the eighty rDinth section Of the thirty -fftl
chapter Of the Code Of Virginia of eighteen hun
dred and forty nine, in relation to the commits
sioners of the revenue. provided however, tina
before any appointment Of assessors provide,
for in this set. it shall be the duty of the severa