New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-03-02
CoNFIsCATION IN BROOKLYN.

OWNERS TO BE HEAVILY TAXED FOR IMPROVE
MEyTs WITHOUT THEIR CONSENT.
A bill has Just been introduced IN the
Legislature. which If passed will virtually conhscate
property along the line OF certain sreets II provides
for paving curbng guttering and completing Sackett
ST. from Third 70 Fourthaye; Degraw-s, from Nevins-
st. TO Ffthsve.. aud Butler-st., from Neyins-st TO
Fourthave. II also provides that the consent OF the
owners Of the property affected thereby shall not be first
obtained, and that the provisions Of law which would
limit the amount ,ot expense for performing the work
shall not apply 10 the improvements mentioned. The
expense OF the work is to be by the property
holders along the line Of the Improvement. The follow
ing IL the act:
AN ACT to authorize The Common City Brooklyn
grade. pave complies ssit
SECTION l. The Common Council OF tne CITY OF BrOok-
Ign are hereby authorized and empowered 10 grads
pave curb gutter aud complete Sacket5t., from Thlrd
"a FOurhayes. Desraw-st from Neylns-st To FlIth
ave. aud Buterst from Nevins TO Fourthaye, without
petition consent Of the owners OF property affected
thereby, and all provisions OF law, which nut for TINS
would limit the amount OF expense Tor the grading
and gutterug streets hereby declared not 10
apply the improvements herein authorized; and the
whole expense or said improvement snail be assessed
upon fronting said streets, and all provisions
OF law relative To the grading and paving OF streets and
the levying and collection OF assessments therefor sha
be applicable thereto; except 40 lar a. tue same are
modified by this act.
II claimed by taxpayers that this legislation is en-
treV premature and unnecessary and that the expense
OF the work will lead to condscation OF the property
claimed the bill proposed in ,the interest OF Ger
tam contractors the aim being to provide them with
Jobs at the expense OF taxpayer and 10 ~ commended
that OF the special legislation by which streets and
avenues lsId out has been regulated bT the
OF favored CONTRACTORS and not the necessities OF
the taxpayers and the pablo. The streets winch the
bin aims to improve are low aud marshy, and will
have flied in to great depth. 1t is estimated that
It will cost $40 per foot do the work $500 lot
he assessed vaue less than 800 per lo 100000
for the whole work. 1t urged lhat this work should
not be forced upon the property holders agant their
wishes.
for "A single Improvement shall exceed the assessed
value ~ property The old Charter provided that me
assessments should not exceed onenaf the assessed
value of property and previous charter forbade asss
exceeding onethird the assessed value or prop
erty. Ii will noticed that tine proposed act exceeds
the provisions OF the new Charter by eG
pressy repeating all its limitations IN regard TO the ex-
pense work. The subject Will be brought before
the Committee one hundred ~ its meeting Tonight,
when II Is understood the whole system VIII be con
some statistics have inst obtained, showing the
amount Of earth ana filling which are ANNUALLY obtained
from the city or BROOKLYN lheY snow tnd Iet 10 he'r
own natural only few years will eapse before
all the low lots aud lands OF the clU WI reach ther
proper level II used recepacles for surplus earth and
The number OF cubic wards OF earth dug
faSn y I o T was dumped into new ots
carried beyond the city limits lhere were
an average OF three wards OF from each
house, 100000 cubic yards IN all There were swept
while 100 factories where engines used yted
annually coo cubic yards OF ashes These figures
filing OF low lots 265OOO yards OF earth annually
Thus IN the natural excess OF refuse OF earth
aud ashes will MI IN all the low lands of the city.
DEPRECIATION OF REAL ESTATE
! The special legislation Of which the pro-
posed act Is sample operating TO ruin property
owners and TO render their land worthless sale Last
! THURSDAY by Wood, Brady & Todd OF No. Pinest.
New-York Of u lots the Grand Park Saehett
ST. boulevard Brooklyn furnishes fair illustration OF
the burdens OF property in that taxrobbed and
ridden city The highest bid 81 800 lot The
owner OF these lots that he has owned
them several years. and February 1870 refused cash
offer for them of g. each They situated only
| IN one OF the finest in the city, but ther
only few hundred feet from the park line. On April
g. 1870 passed by the Observation-Disclosures
through by the Rngauhorizug the sale OF all the parh
lands east Fatbush-aye and TRANSFORMING these lots
from park fronts property nearly half mile from
the Park The result OF this and of heavy taxation
that time has brought down the price one ar
four years, aud all the taxes and tne
taxes and the assessment for opening the boulevard
very heavy not being Included The land author
Eed be sold under the act Of the ure com
prsed acres with the Reservoir and high lands
around them and are not only nearer the center OF the
city command the finest views OF ali the park lands.
The cost OF these 1877 acres was about s75O,0Oo
these lands by act it also bought the 81 acres
known a. the Litchhed addition" lying at the south
of the park, for $4,000 Or over four times
as much as the lands authorized sold The suit
OF purchase Of the Lltched addition IL that the
cty paid FOR the 81 than for the 1877
acres besds act referred tO has shown by the
II rtiay conhscated the lots of owners
lying near the old park line.
The assessments FOR opening sackett Boulevard were
about $3.50 per lot while and interest since 1870
amount 20 nearly a much more II will thus be seen
BY the bids which made on the property men
toned, last THURSDAY that they are worth Tor estimated
10 be WORTH only tribe than the ana
taxes with which they loaded dows. The foregoing
is fair Illustration Of the Brooklyn Rings method, and
OF the effects OF their action upon property and
property owners.