The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-12-03
NEW ORLEANS BULLETIN
NEW ORLEANS, DECEMBER 3, 1874.
WHAT WILL THE
NEW CITY ADMINISTRATIONS DO ABOUT THE
5000. 900 OF TNCOLLECTED CITY
TAXES!

1t has been suggested that bureau Of back
take, be established. It has also been sug
gested that competent experts be employed t.
examine into the character Of these tax claims
with tie view Of ascertainin9 if they be made
up in due form. and to ascertain if they have o.
not been collected, and to report the facts.
THE CUSTOM
heretofore has been to place all uncolected
tax bills, after certain date, in the hands OF
an assistant city attorney for collection. The
attorney files the bills already made out ia
court, and cadses service of suit 10 be made
on defendants by advertisements in the official
journal
In due course Of time judgments are entered
up. Appropriations are made by the City
Council to pay clerk costs and sheriff fees,
and the attorneys commission, all of which
are usually accomplished by a mandate Of
court, the authority of which is invoked to
compel the city to do it, and this without re-
gard to the fact whether any money had been
collected on the judgment or not.
After these tormalities have been gone
through with, and the costs and fees have
been paid by the city, nobody seems to take
any further interest in pressing the collection
of the judgments, and the sums remain on the
books Of the city Treasury as delinquent
taxes.
1t has occurred in several instances, and tor
ought We know to the contrary, that, in every
case, the city has had trouble in recovering
the money from the assistant city attorneys
after it had been collected. 1t has been
usually the case that the accounts between the
city and the assistant city attorney have re-
manned unsettled for years after the latter had
retired from Office: and in some instances the
accounts remain unsettled to this day.
Il is verify believed that the city would have
been richer to-day by millions Of dollars if
no taxpayer had ever been sued.
Lock at the last hand played in the
GAME or COSTS
on tax suits. Numerous delinquents had been
sued in the courts designated by law. The
costs for fling the papers, advertising, etc.,
had been paid-wLen the law was changed,
requiring oil tax suits to be brought in the Su-
perior District Court. The suits already en-
tered in other courts had to be transferred to
this court.
The papers were taken from the pigeon-holes
where they had been originally filed, carried
to the Clerk'softice OF the Superior District
Court and deposited on the floor. The Clerk
of the Superior Court had them pigeon hol sd
in his Office. and entered on the docket of his
court, some twenty six thousand suits were
thus transferred.
The clerks fee for this work was fifty cents
for each suit, or SIS, 900 or therea bouts. This
sum the city is condemned to pay by order
OF court before she can paw any other claim.
The clerk can't wait for the Sheriff to make
the money out Of these suits. These costs
must be paid now, while the probability is
that the Sheriff never will make money
enough out Of the suits to reimburse the city
for costs she has advanced.
The fifty cents a suit for filing the papers is
but small portion of the costs in each case.
We published, the other DAY, q specimen tax
suit in which it appeared that the tax was
81 40, and the costs were sd.
Taking this bill as a sample Of costs in
Cured in attempting to collect tax bills
through the courts, let us inquire who are
The
SUFFERERS?
And who are benefited? The officers of the
court are benefited, and their employees are
benefited in getting employment, 50 are the
'tationer and printer, but the taxpayers sut-
er under all circumstances. If the Judgment
he suffers. If he does not pay, other tax
layers have to contribute to pay these costs,
nd they suffer to the extent of their contri-
)uton.
Will the
BUREAU SYSTEM
perate any better f? Probably, no. No. unless
he whole system be changed.
The creation Of a bureau of blck taxes i'm
lies the creation of one or more offices, to be
He'd with salaried officers, who will be re-
uired to give bonds, and therefore will be en-
tiled to round salaries or large emoluments. ,
'esides an extra corps OF salaried clerks will
e added to the city's expenses.
Then what guaranty have We that this sys- I
en- will work better than the present one
he tax bills are made out and filed in court,
nd Judgment on most of them already OBJ
,ined. If the Sheriff can't make the de-
nquen.s pay, how is the bureau to do it?
THE REMEDY
Or these difficulties is certain. But before
Eating it, We will recite few facts by way of I
Illustration.
The Sheriff, in some instances, has seized
nd sold property for taxes on which the tax
ad been paid He has also sold property be-
onging to parties not in the suit that is, lie
AS sold the wrong mans property property !,
n which taxes had been paid. 5
There are numerous difficulties of this sort l
'hich the Sheriff has had to contend with. in a
is attempt - execute writs Of seizure and =