Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-08-09
LOOSE LOTS
Lying About the City and Some Of the
Reasons Why They Remain
~UnimprOved.
Tied Up in the Courts AID Eaten Up
With Back Taxes Numerous
Instances Cited.

Oae of the ressons Why 20 much vacant
property about the city remains unim-
proved is said TO be that II is involved 10
lawsuits and tied up IN the courtP. Large
amounts OF back taxes are due on it or else
it belongs to minor heirs and cannot be
touched. When asked yesterday why 1t wss
that there were 50 few cottages 10 rent when
the demand was go great, a leading real
estate man replied thst in the first place the
call had never been 30 large az now, and in
The second place that at least hslf the unim-
proved property within the city limits is
tied up in the manner named.
A NUMBER OF INSTANCES
were cited, among them a piece on the north
west corner Of Main and Poutotoc streets,
which belong 10 minor hair. Two years ego
il was valued by a committee Of expert real
estate MN at Sl050, when the taxes, due
since 1857, actually amounted 10 $500, or
more than three TINES lis marketable value.
The Nooe property, on Madison street,
which sold not long since to ]. s. Day Tor
S10,500, had been deiinqu nj for yesrs. and
the lakes on it footed up, ST the time Of the
purchase, to $4,000 Fue County Court IT.
duced the taxes to the smouot Of the pur-
chase money, which it went TO l'qaidats.
THE AYREs BLOCK
sold for $40. 900, and the taxes on it were
nearly $4,000. Nearly the entire amount
paid by Mr.. Napoleon Hill for the ate of
| his present residence went to pay back t:xss.
On a piece of property on the eoDth eide OF
Madison street nearly $1,000 are due, and the
owner declares that he will let il 60 by the
board. Bills in the Chancery Court which
have been pending for years chow enormous
amounts of taxes which have rapidly accu-
mulatei year after year until when the time
comes to settle they will be found 10 be not
equal in value TO them.
Oie of the main causts which pile up back
taxes is said TO have been the working OF q
law which provides that when a piece oil
property is taken in charge By the State and
couuiy scent the revenue. in the shape a
rents tina. may be derived from it shall be
applied to the payment of the taxes for the
year for which they are t's. delinquent with,
out reference TO current taxes.
THE RESULT -
is easy 10 sac. The taxes for The curren
year became delinquent and c)sts and penal.
ties begun to accrue, doubling and treblin:
with each successive year, and like the esia
in Jarndyoe Us. Jarudyce, the property j
kept in the hands OF The agent for ever an,
ever more.
Mr.. Ce var Wsa.herford vas interviewed OF
the subject yesterday, and stated that sue
had been the cas-, but that la'ely he ba'
Dccu ming M oSdiuSl inpIOfCu dGu III
improved property aliRP, and that his rent
roll. at present. would not foot up more thai
$3.50 a month. He added that he reisint,
no properly in his possession in order to pa,
taxes with the rents except when specially
requested 10 do SO.
A visit 10 the clerks ofics of the CHANGER,
Court showed the bills piled up 10 a dis
heartening extent. Most of them wer
az ainsi a number Of persons in widely ser
arated portions Of the city, and one WAS u ,
ticed with as many as $50 defendants. Ntn
of these bills So a whole had been dismissed
though some of the defendants to each ha
been Withdrawn, their property having bet
either sod or the taxes psi9. Meanwhile
the State and county sg nj has the propert.
in charge until q receiver is appointed o
some other disposition made. Many of thes
bills show the city property
DELINQUENT FOR THIRTY YEARS.
Justice & .Iloway, 10 speaking OF the mat
ter, said be knew the County Court had beef
terribly abused and ridiculed for reducip,
assessments, but he thought there were man,
reasons why it should be done. Taxes for
number of yesrs, be said, had been very neg
Jig .ntly collected, and in many instance
piled up to such an extent that The owner
had entirely abandoned their properly anC
did not hesitate to declare their intention 1,
"let it slide" Unless their petitions for re
ductious were allowed the taxes very prot
ably would never be paid, and as for %sellip,
for lakes that would be impossible, ss tn,
amount was greater than the
MARKETABLE VALUE.
He was in favor OF allowing thsec petition
whenever they were reasonable, and wipip.
out old scores-thus a quantity of properl,
now dead and out OF tue market would b
made live again-then to make the mos
stringent tax laws for the future. Jusiic
Galloway added that there never wls such
dispoaition before to extrica'e property iron
back-tsx Offices aid improve i.