Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-01-22
AFFECTS ALL ALIKE,
/ Every Section of the City
Suffers From the Increase
i'm Valuations.
HOW ASSESSORS FIGURE.
A Few Reductions They Have Made,
on the Foot Front Rule.
APPEALS COME THICK AND FAST.
Objections to Judging Large Properties BY
Small Ones.
HOW ASSESSORS FIGURE.
COME THICK AND FAST.
Objections to Judging Large Properties BY
Small Ones.
PARTIAL LIST OF THE PROTESTS FILED

The storm at the City Assessors office
continued with increased vigor yesterday,
and the appeals kept falling on the little
counter provided for them like midwinter
snow. The crowds were even greater than
the previous day, and most of the time
there was a crowd in the rotunda
waiting to get in as large as that
which crowded uncomfortably in the
little Office. 1t was a question which
caused the most complaint from the tax
payers the amount of their assessment. or
the discomfort they suffered at the Asses
sors' Office. The number of appeals filed
reached away into the hundreds, and the
Assessors say thusfa the number that have
come in already exceed the whole number
received during the last triennial assess
ment. This they say they are glad to see,
however, as ii shows they have not under
estimated so many properties. They argue
that they really underestimate four where
they oyerestinate one, but those underesti-
mated seldom appeal.
The character of the mass of appellants
yesterday differed somewhat from those of
L
increase in the number of workmen from
various sections OF the city, but while they
predominated, many appeals came in from
business men and the wealthier class. All
sections of the city were represented, and,
as real estate agent remarked, it was an
indication that the assessors had been i'm
partial if nothing else, for complaints were
coming in from every quarter, and rich and
poor were suffering alike.
OF Interest to Real Estate Men.
The real estate agents are taking a deep
interest in the triennial assessment, and
their comments on sworn values by property
owners in some instances ara interesting.
| From remarks overheard yesterday some Of
the appellants who place a low figure on the
assessment blanks as the value OF their
properties and write underneath, 81 will sell
for that figure any time, as many hsve
DONE may expect to have their offer taken
up at an early day. As the appeals are all
sworn to, it is argued that such statements
can be taken advantage Of
a member of the firm of w. A. Heron &
Sons yesterday, in discussing the big in
crease on East End property valuations,
said:
While the assessors make q plausible ar
gument for the increase on large tracts OF
unimproved land or expansive residence
grounds in that part 81 the city, by quoting
figures on recent sales OF small lots, 1t does
not follow that if all that property was
put on the market it would bring
such figures. In fact the result would
be directly opposite. Take Ellsworth ave-
Tnr1ea for: :1,SA SfrrNt1 40 rhaoh
Robert Pitcairn, P. c. Knox and other large
holders of residence grounds along that
street should put them on the Market cut
up in small lots. Why, there would be ter
rife fall in values and you could buy q 25-
foot lot there for almost what the assessors
have fixed per front foot. This is as true OF
other streets as the one named and it shows
the fallacy of the assessors arguments.
But this does not argue against the in
crease in other parts of the city. Down
. town, for instance, the figures have been in
creased generally. The methodical manner
sions is understood by few, and most people
imagine they simply guess at values
of different properties. While this suppo-
sition is necessarily true in many cases, it
is a mistake in general. As explained by
Chief Assessor Case, the board starts its
work by selecting ward. Then they take
q map showing the location and dimensions
of every piece of property in that ward, ard
select its principal street. By always keep
ing close watch on property sales all over
the city they estimate the value of adjoin-
ing property by prices sales are made for.
How the Work Is Done.
Dividing a street up into blocks, they
prepare a schedule showing the value of
front footage on each block at, say, 100 feet
depth. In making their. assessments on
this basis they increase or decrease their
figures according as the lots are deeper or
shallower When these assessments sre
sent out to the holders of the property,
they appeal if the figures are TOO high, as
they are doing now. The Board of As
SCISSORS then consider these appeals,
going carefully over those of
each ward, and, if there is a
good reason for reducing the rate of assess
ment, it is made. Several wards have al
ready been gone over in this way, among
them the Ninth, and the reductions made
are considerable.
On Penn avenue, for instance, from
Eleventh and Twelfth streets, the assessors
had fixed the value at $500 per front foot,
on both sides of the street, for 100 foot
depths. On account of appeals the rate was
reduced to S420. From Twelfth to Thir-
teenth streets the rate was $500 per front
foot but has been reduced on account of ap-
peals to $3.50. From Thirteenth to Four
teenth streets, it has been reduced from
$500 to $3.50. In the Twenty-ffth ward re-
ductions have been made as follows on 12O
foot depths on Carson street:
From Twenty first to Twenty-second. s2l0
i. to 5000; Twenty-second to Twenty-third, 5000
to Sl95; Twenty-third to Twenty-fourth sl95
to $50; Twenty-fourth to Twenty-fifth, $3.50
TO SlS5: 1wenty.fifth TO Twentysixth slS5 to
to Sl7o. On Sarah street, Twenty-fifth ward
$40 to SIS has been knocked off on each block.
making the finally assessed rate as follows:
Twenty-frst to Twenty-second streets, sl2O
per front foot: Twenty-second to Twenty
third, $l1O: Twenty-third to Twenty
fourth, 500; Twenty-fourth to Twenty
fifth, S95: Twenty-fifth to Twenty
seventh, $50 On Josephine street, from
Twenty-hrst to Twenty-Seventh streets the
rates have been reduced to s35 per front foot
for 60 foot depths on the right side of the
street and $50 for the 120 foot depths on
the left side. Sidney street has been re-
duced between Twenty-first and Twenty
fourth streets to 500 a foot front: Twenty
fourth to Twenty-ffth streets $40; Twenty
fifth to Twenty-sixth, SS0 Wharton street
from Twenty-first to Twenty-second streets
has been set at S75, and from Twenty-second
TO Twenty-fifth at $40.
1t is possible that the board will make
similar reductions in other wards, If cir
that clear case must be made out why any
reduction should be made before
it will be done. They are crowded
IN the limit iust nou NTH tha ,rort-