New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-04-12
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE
INEQUALITIES IN TAXATION.


SIR Will you tell me what has caused tie
blindness OF the past legislation ana the present OF the
great State Of NewYork to the sefeVdent iDquitous
discrimination against those who hold properly InJoint
ownership which tho subject OF your complaint
the California egsaoui 1t has been and Is now tne
law of this State, that the assessors shall assess re
estate at its true and fair value without deuueuou o
any kind by reason Of the and tnat
the assessors shall also take cognzanoo OF bona anu
mortgage as personal property md assess the noue
thereof.
That our tax law has and does discriminate against
the comparatively poor and In favor OF the ricb' the
following illustration shows; Mr.. Jones sold TWO
houses and lots in the same block at $9OOOO
each, one 10 A, who had money enough to pay lot
his the other to B, who had only S25,OOO' ahu
therefore. had to borrow $4,000 TO pay Mr Jones'
This loan be obtained OF c. and now and tOgetner
have put IN for the house and lot tho same amount
which put in alone. The asseSsors value the Two
houses alike say at about 100000 EACH and so enter
the property on their books but the assessors discover
that holds mortgage on BIS property ana tney ~
once put down c. personal for $2o.OOO no must w
blind indeed who cannot that, while ONLY pays on
n valuation OF 100000, and must pay on
And this ia not the worst that has been done
in the way OF inequality. In town III meslehSstten
County not long ago the real estste ,S was value"
and at the same time the owner OF holder o. NOR h
ocs or par yaIue of the mortgage Thus the resident
holder Of this fiat property and the real property
!
ton compared with the property out or deDt imam
and c did ms compared with In the former example
But 10 show how easily fiat property can be orea-
ted and wiped ont OF existence let the experience OF my
noighhor Mr.. Brown testify. Mr.. Brown owned and
had worked valuable farm up TO the Spring 81 49,
when realizing that his physical powers were faiinB ne
concluded 10 let his only John take the farm ana
stock-John giving him mortgage ON the farm l09r
$40 900. and stipulation that father anu mother shouiu
have a homo and hoard during their lives win John IN
lieu interest the mortgage. This year tue asssoo
discovered no difference in the appearance or value OF
the far - and therefore entered 1t in their BOOKS as pc
fore But II shortly afterward discovered that me
farm was recorded In the name OF JOIN brown, ~
ana mortgage recorded in favor OF Mr. Brown, on sara
farm for $4,000. so $4,000 WAS entered In the peI
sOua column to old Mr. Brown ana the OWnershlpOl
the farm nut In Johns Tho usual notice Dy ln9
assessors that they had made the assessment ron ahG
that books would lie open for the examination OF az
Interested until certain day, etc, was gwen NOW TT
Brown SENIOR discovered that for taxable purposes ns
prOpery had more than doubled In value by virtue OF
having mortgage onIr and he conclude at once that ne
could not afford TO pay, at least 500 year extra
taxes for the reputation Of being "olosied D"nd
holder" so he took deed OF the farm IRON JONI anu
sent piece OF paper the registers ofce Tor record
and presto" $4,000 OF taxable property vas
wiped out. $500 w.
Yonkers, April 3, 1880.