New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-02-13
FOREIGN Markets.
"Absenteeism,' In New Orleans.

From recent letter from this city to tn
New York Times, written by III. c." tn
accomplished special correspondent of tina
journal, we extr act the following:
The amount of real estate in New Orlean
scarcely be estimated. In general terms i
may be stated that one-half the property
situated in the large and popuious French
district is owned by people who have theil
residences in Europe. l am credibly in
formed that fully one-fOurth of these
owners have for many years paid no taxes
on their estates. The property is all i'm
ally found with authority to collect rents,
it ia impossible to serve writs on them in
accordance with the law. Without the
service of such writs the sheriff is
powerless to act, and in this way
large estates paying rents which are
promptly collected and forwarded to
Europe, do not contribute 81 to maintain
the city ar State government. Instances of
this kind are very NUMEROUS. In Dauphine
street tn re is large and valuable house
upon which no taxes have been paid Tor a
number of years. 1t belonged, as the old
records show, to Celestin Chiapella, who
left New Orleans for France fifteen years
ago, and who has not been heard from since.
It is rented, and the tenant pays an agent
who forwards the money to Europe. On St.
Ann street, near Where, there is large
mansion surrounded by fine grounds, upon
which no taxes have been paid for ten years.
The tenants do not know who the owner of
the property is, or where he resides. They pay
their rent to an agent. In addition to these
instances many others could be mentioned.
From an old native of this city, who held q
position in the sheriff office before the
war, l have learned many interesting facts
regarding property the owners of which are
unknown. He tells me that he knows of
many cases in which strangers came to New
Orleans long before the war, acquired PROC.
erty, left the country and have never since
been heard from. Leaving no debts, no
SUGGESTIONS were opened on their estates,
and in this way their property has remained
Ownerless and pays NO taxes. A few in
stances of this kind may be Of interest.
Some fifteen years ago an old man, after
having acquired valuable piece of prop
erty here, went to California, taking his
young son with him and leaving his
property in the hands of friend, with
the statement that he would soon re-
turn. Shortly after reaching California
the old man died, and his friend heard
no more about him. Last year the son,
who by this time had become of age, saw
his father name in the list of delinquent
taxpay ers advertised in q Louisiana paper
his father owned any property in New Or. |
Leans. He at once wrote TO the authorities
here, the matter was carefully investigated, |
and it was discovered that the fathers |
friend had received the rents from the prop |
erty for more than ten years, but during all |
that time had not paid one dollar of taxes. |
A succession was opened, the young man re-
ceived his property, and how the taxes are
regularly paid. In the square bounded by |
Dumaine, st. Ann, Rampant and St. Claude
streets, is situated house which is regis
tered on the tax books "owner unknown"
The house is tenanted, but no taxes have
been paid upon it for twenty years. Within
the last year or two partial paymen have
been made by the tenants. Another large
house on Gravier street has brought no
revenue to the city since 1861. The last
known owner was a man who disappeared
prior to 1860. 1t is now not known whether
he is dead or alive, or if he has any legal
The house is occupied,
but as far as is known the tenants pay no
rent. In addition to the cases mentioned
there are upward of 500 lots of ground in
different parts of New Orleans which are
entered upon the tax lists "owner I'M
known They are valued at upward of |
100000.