The New York herald., 1878-03-13
TRINITY CHURCH TENANTS.

AN EFFORT TO HAVE THEIR GROUND RENTS
REDUCED-INDIaNAT1oN MEETING IN SPRING
STREET.
About two hundred persons assembled last evening
at the Spring Street House In call issued
by committee of tenants of Trinity Church Cor
pora.ion to effect, II possible, reduction OF
ground rents. number oi ladies' Interested
in tho movements wero present The property
represented at the meeting was mainly that
portion OF the Trinity estate known as the Aaron
Burr lease and consisting Of eight or nine hundred
lots the central portion OF the city. Mr.. Edwin
Wainwright. the chairman, said:-"rrnity Church,
shylockl like is trying TO take all we earn and more
besides, ana he hoped that the voice OF the meeting
would be unanimous in condemnation. He then In
troduced Mr. George NJ. Chapman, who explained at
length the objects of the meeting and the proposed
action TO be taken.
MIR. cHAPMAN's ADDRESS.
After giving history OF the early days OF Trinity
Corporation OF the changes Of the real estate cf
which tho audience were tenants, and telling how
they had built tho houses, opened, paved graded and
severed the streets, no sad may be asked why
We had the mpudence to build houses upon the land OF
this anu sign away our legal rights under
The cunningy devised leases prepared by their ttor
news / answer that this corporation has held these
lands for $50 years. That up very recent period
they have ucen proverb al Tor their iiberaly 10 their
tenants, much SO that their lease was Considered
nearly equal TO the ownership OF The fec OF the prop
TAX en- by money lenders. Under their present policy
it cannot be sold or morlgased AZ any price.
Now gentlemen, this sixly-nine years lease 10 Aaron
Burr expired upon the lst OF May, 1866 twelve years
ago this property reverted back 10 TRINITY Church
You were summoned before the nscal agents oi this
csrpo ation, told you that Tho vestry required
time deliberate on the best way TO dispose oi thls
immense property; whether they should sell out the
fee of lbe the owners OF the buildings or fOl
low Their Old practice and grant twenty-one year
esscs OF Ave per cent ON the appraised value
OF the land with renewals. hat III the meantime thy
would grant years leases at rental OF i've per
cent per annum upon the present value ol The land,
with the taxes and water rents paid by tenants
which they would renew from time to time Ut that
rate until they could mature some judcious plan TO
sell out the land IN tee or grant twenty-one year
leases 10 OF the houses on their land who
they acknowledged, had vested right 10 the pur-
chase to perpetual lease, renewable at
periods, at five per cent per annum rent upon
its fair value
The rents fixed in their leases were high but not
when we consider that II was soon alter
the close OF the war; during the most inflated period
of rents and real estate, and when god was worth
about $50 IN grecnbackS .
When these two year leases expired we were told
that no decision about the future disposition OF the
properly had been reached by the vestry, and The
leases were again renewed at the same rental lhese
have continued at me same rental up to The
WE HAD SIGNED AWAY RIGHTS.
But when rents labor amt gold began 10 TALL and the
value Of money had nearly doubled, and we found our
we-to-do tenants gradually leaving our upper 1oors
vacan we respectfully these iacts TO the
agents of this corporation and asked ior reduction
of our rents equivalent " the rise oI
money, and the consequent reduction IN the money
val Of the properly. We received the answer that
we had already signed away all our rights TO our
property in our present leases, except Lue priv
ilege OF tearing down houses and remov
ing the old lumber at The expiration oi our lease
A great number tenants have been driven
away by the persistent refusal OF the church TO give
US leases hey two years. thus destroying the
tanty Of the tenure oil the owners OF the buildings
and driving away every tenant whose business re-
one OF the fairest portions OF the city
iuto tenement houses where few except the poorest
any or,ce ana red NC ng the rent both houses
land below the ground rent exacted Dy the cnurch,
compelling US to pay all taxes aad water rents
OF pockets or alb andon 81 OoO,0U0 OF our
pro perty In houses TO this corporation
A STARTLING OFFER.
The rent now exacted from US by Trinity Church is
more than seven per cent per annum upon the
scssed value Of whole property, land and houses.
and is fourteen per cent ground rent upon the and
OF the enormous city taxation and the
water rents upon US. me Gay before EN-, !
the state OF this property to the attorney
and also tho chief agent oi this corporation; but
then offered TO sell them The houses five IN numoer)
at oue-quarter Of their appraised value. aud they
laughed me 10 scorn. The speaker then went on
10 state that he believed tie rector and wardens
OF the church honorable men, but that
they influenced by the subordinate agents OF the
corporation, wno hedged them about aaa prevented
the tenants getting az them. He then went to
that the secular agents Of the church were grind
ng the faces OF poor The value Of this property,
said the speaker, is run down by the incubus that
has rested upon It, have before stated that II we
should tear down our Douses tomorrow no tenants
could be found who would replace them Tree from
ground rent under the specifications furnished by the
cnurch) and agree TO pay the taxes
1t is plain. therefore, that the most liberal treat
mont between landlord ana tenant Will be required
for long time to bring this immense property back
TO paying condition. No tenant w'il improve his
buildings under two-ycar lease. hence they grow
more aud more dilapdated every year. This evil Car
be rcmedied by inserting clause IN the new leases
giving certain number OF renewals az i've per cent
per anuum upon Inc appraised value oi the land
THIS Will give the landlord all the benefit OF the rise
In value vi the land the tenant such security
will warrant him IN improving his property. such
clause would soon put new lace upon the property
and Goubie its market value
committee was then appointed 10 confer with tho
ch authorities ana enieavor TO obtain tar SET
tement OF the difficulties and to report subse-
quent meeting. The committee consisted oil the fol-
lowing gentlemen George W. Chapman, John Moir,
William A. Fulton, c. H.. Lamoureaux, Charles i.
II. X. Harrison aud DR.. +. 4. Dowln.
Messrs. John b. HaskIn and |. W lizard Cook, Ben
nett Building, appointed advisory counsel
tho committee. The meeting was unanimous and
. ft,ta. IN hnnf