Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-02-06
MORE TAX TROUBLES.
Assessors Will Make No Transfers s0f
Property This Year.
AN EDICT FROM THE CONTROLLERS
Relieves the Board of the Right to Issue:
Any EXonerations.
1T WILL SERIOUSLY CROWD COUNCILS

The Board of Assessors yesterday 6eci ded
not to transfer any property on the ASSESS
ment books where the deed of sale is later
than February 1. and at no time will it
make any transfers on articles of agreement
whereby property is sold on the installment
plan and the deed is not delivered unailt the
entire purchase money is paid.
The taxes on any property sold within the
present year will, therefore. have to be paid
by the person whose name appears as the
owner in the present assessment list.
This action is the result of the tighter
lines that are being drawn on the Board of
Assessors, and the authority for the action
is taken from the Bruce ordinance passed
in 1876, which prohibited transfers, although
it was never enforced
Besides this, no alterations are to be made
in the assessment books after they have gone
into the hands of the Treasurer. This matter
was decided by Controller Morrow some
time ago, and on January 26 he sent
the following letter to the Board of Asses
sors:
Communicate From the Controller.
''To the Board of Assessors:
"GENTLEMRN-Your attention is invited to
the acts of Assembly and the ordinances re-
lating to assessments and alterations therein.
After the levy is extended upon the duplicate
and reported to the treasurer for collection,
neither your board nor the treasurer have any
authority to make any abatement in the
amount OF tax so extended, except as specially
provided by law.
Hereafter will not receive any report from
you of any deduction from the tax levy after it
has gone to the treasurer.
Yours respectfully
Il. S. MORROW. Controller"
I'VE are perfectly satisfied" said Assessor
Frank P. Case last night, mot to have TO
change the books after they are sent to the
Treasurer for collection. Under this order the
books cannot be changed, but the question
that arises with us is how are we going to effect
proper and necessary generations. 1t is this
way. On new buildings we make a high assess
ment with a view to having the owner come In
of the assessment is sent to the new building
and in many cases the notices are not
received and the only intimation a man
has of the amount of his assessment is when he
is called on to pay taxes The only redress he
would have would be to take the matter into
Councils, which would overcrowd that body
with an unusually heavy amount Of work, and
probably shut out legislation which the city
badly needs.
An Alternative That Could Happen.
matter rest until the taxes 20 into the hands of
the Delinquent Tax Collector, and then the
Board of Assessors could issue an exoneration.
but still the man would be burdened with the
5 per cent increase which goes to the delinquent
tax Office.
Before this we have been in the habit of is
suing vouchers for the generations. which
were handed to the Treasurer so that any
changes made in the assessment were fully eX-
planned. Under this rule we can still issue
vouchers, but the Treasurer is not in any may
bound to respect them, but is bound as mach
by Mr.. Morrow's order as we are.
Under the old rule we kept a clerk in the
Treasurers office all the time tor the purpose
of making these changes. Now there will be
no further use for him. The only thing we can
do is to paste the constable's order on the wall
and simply point to it when anyone asks for
an Abatement