The New York herald., 1879-12-08
BROOKLYN FINANCES.
Ez-Rosstrar Scott Regrets lhs Publication Of
Nj. Knsellas Statement
DELINQUENT TAXPAYERS
A Protest Against the Sale Of Property
for Arrears
COMPROMISE THE ONLY REMEDY.


The serious. but by no means insurmountable anan-
cial difficulties that Brooklyn is laboring under.
laid before tho readers of the HERALD on the 25th
ult. The remedies proposed in that article. how
do not meet with general approval. and YET
spite OF the objections of numerous taxpayers and
capitalists a salo of property in for the
year 1878 has been ordered by Registrar OKeefe and
tho lists in the hands of tho printer to-day. The
advisabilty of this In the present condition
Of the real estate and money market is q matter of
80 much doubt that . HERALD reporter called ON Mr.
Rufus L. Scott. the ex-Registrar of Arrears. who
while occupying that position steadily refused to
order such sale. for his views After welcoming
the reporter ut his residence. Jefferson street.
Mr.. Scott said: -
"To rHR DIsCRRDIr OF BROOKLYN.
II will say first that regret that Mr.. Kinselia
should have dcemod it wise to send abroad such .
statement published In the HERALD. 1t is
calculated to do much harm to the city of Brooklyn
the more SO because the author is man of extraor
dinary abilities and is widely known in city. State
and national affairs. That article will be quoted far
and near to tho discredit OF Brooklyn and Brooklyn
Taxpayers. and our city will be classed with Eliza
beth and other bankrupt cities It will also tend 10
check the rapid growth Of Brooklyn from
from other places. The whole argument he ad-
vances seems to be for the purpose Of justfying
IN immediate salo of property in arrears for
taxes and assessments. while the chief cause
OF the large accumuatons is attributed principally
to the facts that sales have been had for the last
few years and tho responsibility is placed In part
upon the socalled stay laws and in part upon
those In authority for not ordering sales That the
neglect have sales does not account for tho large
accumulation Of arrears Is apparent from the fact
that New York city has pursued the same policy
during the depressed condition OF real estate not
having had sale since 1876 for the years 1869 and
1870 Yet her arrears are small in proportion to the
arrears in Brooklyn. That the called stay laws
do not account for It the fact that they in opera
tion in Now York city will demonstrate. Besides.
II the stay laws affected tho city injuriously we
would expect decrease of collections during their
operation. Instead. however. we find . steady in
in the collection Of The last sale in
Brooklyn 1875 for the Of 1875 in 1876
there was collected $l0.51O o. more than in 1875;
in 1877 there collected $3.50 62O 02 than in
1876; in 1873 there was collected $s2.08O "a moro
than in 1871"
CHEAP LOTS.
.why. then. do these arrears existY asked the rs-
porter.
''The cause is not SO important" continued Mr..
OCOtts tuc pEOpcE mctuoo "a iucctAuB tucxus Oub
will tell you the cause and tho sole cause outside
of the general depression in real estate In the
first place Brooklyn. unlike New York. has o vast
number Of cheap lots. ranging in value from 500
upward. There according to the last report Of
tho Commissioners Of City Works upward of q. 900
buildings. including sheds. stables and churches.
while there $50 900 lots. showing that ovor
onohalf the taxable lots vacant or unim mproved.
For series Of years up to Q recent date the most
reckless management Of city affairs prevailed. This
vacant property. much of which should have been
taxed farm property. was cut up into building
lots. aud so-called improvements were made
(though far away from any dwellings) such as
patent pavements. patent sidewalks. fencing grad
ing. paving and filling in lots. Out Of these the
contractors grew rich and the taxpayers poor. It
did not take the long learn that they had
equity left in large amount OF property. and in
many instances property was assessed for four or
i've times its value, that they abandoned It. or
this property has been taxed and retaxed
since, and vt times offered for sale. with no pur.
chasers except the city. And thus the accumula-
tons have been going on. The bulk Of the prop
upon which tho city already holds 1886 certificates
sale, according to q statement made In May lxst.
representing $5OU,Ul0 CO."
''Whore IL the greater portion Of the property in
arrears situatedY
I'm the outlying wards For instance. tho assess
ments for the Sackett street and parallel bouevards
swamped all the property in that section the city
aud the owners on that ground ceased paying taxes
tho assessments alone aggregatDg over $l.OOOO00."
DISADVANTAGES OF A FORCED SALE
"Will . tax sale. forced a. has been the custom.
constitute remedy for this state OF things?
ability is that the expense for tax sale under the
present law will be six times the amount of
collections. for the reason that purchasers will not
be found who will buy the class OF property princi-
pally offered for sale. The expense OF sale IL
nous ,,;s Section n,nv,S, Of title Of the char
tces to be given, says they TO be
printed in the Corporation newspapcrs.' without
providing for the number of Insertions or any
further particular. Section IL OF title provides
for tour Corporation newspapers TALL the papers there
are In rookiyn) aud authorizes the Common Council
to fix the compensation for publishing notices OF
tax and assessment sales. Some years ago they fixed
the price ut 81 parcel for zach newspaper. making
- lot for zach years taxes and assessments. The
Corporation newspapers have deemed ii u sufficient
compliance with the charter publish extra sheets,
which has been done by three Of the newspapers
from tho Same stereotype plate. involving only the
cost Ut one composition; and 1t has been their
custom to distribute the sheets when called tor
at their respective newspaper Offices. Somo-
times. however,. they have delivered thom
with the regular issues Of their papers.
While In tho Office of Arrears 1 caused lists
to be made for the year 1879 and found for that year
alone there were 500 parcels which would involve
expense at those rates OF $4,000. and that tho
parcels altogether numbered over Al. 600, which
would involve All expense OF $1S0.000. l. therefore.
during the last Leaslaturo prepared bill similar
the law In force in New York city, under winch. In
communication to the Common Council pledged
myself to bring to n sale all such arrears at an OK.
pensc not to exceed S2O0O. and TO give mere eec
tual and wider notice than has ever been given
under tho present law. said in the commu-
nication that this would tho city SITS. 600
tho present arrears and $25 900 per annum
thereafter in tho single item of advertising alone.
10 the credit or the Common Council 1t should DO
said that they aninously rocom M ended the pas-
sage Of the law; aud had It passed, such arrears
would have been offered for sale during my torn.
But In my efforts to pass tho law was confronted
by the opposition OF all the editors of those papers.
and 1t was defeated"
"How would you have accomplished salo mad
the Law passedY
FIFTEEN THOUSAND OWNERS
"It must be borne In mind that theso 45 900 par
cells in arrears do not represent that number lots
nor that number OF owners OF property, they, IN
overy years tax. make parcel. Tho actual num-
Der OF lots would not exceed twenty thousand and
the number OF delinquent owners would not exceed
fifteen thousand proposed to print pamphlets
similar to the sheets printed by tho
newspapers and supply them ut the Office OF Ar
after inserting short notices OF sale In the Cor
poration newspapers. In 1t deemed advis-
able to give further notice proposed to send to the
dt.Ii n n hos al lars MI f,un