The morning call., 1892-07-09
HEAVY ASSESSMENTS.
Property Owners Indignant Over
Siebe's Valuations.
Is It Plan to Evade the Dollar-Limit Pledge
Real Estate Agents Sound a Note
Of Warning.

Now Is the time when the prudent prop
erty-holder HES him to the City Hall and
carefully scans the long lists of figures con-
tanned in the assessment roll IT'S dry
reading, to be sure, but it often contains
information which, seen in time, saves
many penny for the wary one.
just now the Assessors books are, by the
operation OF a wise law. open for public
Inspection. From the first Monday in July
until the 18th inst, taxpayers not only have
the right TO inspect them, but also To file
objections, if they have any, TO the assess
ments therein recorded. which objections
must be heard 10y the Supervisors sitting as
q Board of Equalization, and they, acting on
the testimony adduced before them, may
alter the assessment as their ideas of justice
prompt.
CARELESS PROPERTY OWNERS.
As a rule owners of property, or at all
events majority of them, especially those
in moderate circumstances, allow this OPP
pOrtuulty 10 pass without availing them
selves of 1t. with the result that they fire.
Quently awaken TO the realization of their
error when taXday comes. This year is no
exception to the rule, for MP to the present
very few have called to inquire how AS
SCISSOR Siebe and his deputies have treated
them. But among the few who have called
the greatest indignation prevails at the I'M
accountable Increase in real estate values
made by the Assessors Office. The actual
assessed value OF property for the fiscal
year of 1891 was S311. SOC. 079, while the esti-
mated value OF taxable property this year
is S34C, 0O0.000 This is an increase in
round numbers of $50, COG, 900, which in the
face OF continued reduction OF rents and the
present dizziness Of the market is not easily
understood, especially as the appreciation in
Mr.. Siehe's eyes amounts 10 as much as 80
per cent in some localities over the valua-
ton he himself placed upon the same prop
erty atwelvemonth ago.
Yesterday the leading real estate agents
in the city sounded the alarm, and during
the day many earnest consultations took
place between them and their customers in
their enGeavor 10 bring about some united
action 10 stem the tide of confseation.
ALARMING FIGURES.
One Of the leading agents when called
upon by CALL reporter was deep in his
books, making comparisons between the
assessments OF last year aud this. so far as
they affected the property in his hands.
According TO HIM Nalencia-street properly
owners Will be the seyerest sufferers, il the
new assessments are allowed to stand.
Between Market and Seventeenth
Streets" said he. the increase over last
years assessment runs from 10 10 90 per
cent and from that point to TWentY-ninth
street II drops by gradual stages till the in
crease amounts TO only 20 or % per cent for
property In the last two or three blocks.
This viii be very severe blow 10 holders
ont there. as rents are constantly dropping.
Last year siX-Toom fats Oh Valencia street
would not command more than SIS. Now
tie tenants demand further concessions,
and If they cannot get them they move out.
There IL, practically, no inquiry for houses
on this street. so the owners are forced 10
come down, and what with loss OF rents.
cost OF repairs. insurance and taxes, there
Is no money whatever in property there.
''Now, In comparison with the increase
on Valencia street property" said the
agent, Just look at these figures for Eddy
been going ahead very rapidly during the
wear and the travelling facilities have been
greatly increased The increase there
varies from TO 10 per cent.
DOWNTOWN PROPERTY.
Here is piece on the corner of O'Farrell
and Jones streets, where the increase runs
mp to % per cent. but that is fair enough
considering the surroundings The increas Sc
on Market-sIreet property averages about 5
per cent Not much, you will say, but
still great deal taking into consideration
the fact that Market-street property has
always been assessed too b gh. The present
increase means for the block between
Third and Fourth streets. valuation Of
$1,000 front foot"
Taking up his figures at random the gen.
tleman showed instances where the assess
ments locked extraordinarily out Of pro-
portion TO previous levies. Here are few
oil them: Market-street extension, on Fif-
teenth street, near Sanchez. 10 per cent in
crease; Hyde street. near California. 20 pr
cent; Pacific Heights, 80 per cent; park sand
lots from 20 to 30 per cent; Thirtieth and
Sanchez streets, 20 per rent. in the face of
an actual depreciation in value; Stockton
near Market. 10 per cent; Chinatown. 10 to
20 per cent; Preside Heights. 80 per cent.
AT this !unctGrc a number of other agents
who were looking around for comfort and
advice dropped IL and reported some of the
discoveries they had just made.
ASSESSED WITH A VENGEANCE
why" said ore, Il have been lifted
clear cut of my boots on a Poweil-street
property, where the advance is not far from
being 200 per cent"
To the look of establishment which
greeted his utterance he reueated his asser-
ton and added that the actual figures last
year we're $1,000 and this year $40 600 for the
Identical lot. without change or alteration of
any description that could affect its value
His Preside Heights property, he said, was
just doubled in value for taxation purposes
Alter comparing nun berless other in
stances OF excessive assessment the reporter
ventured an inquiry as TO what was believed
10 be the reason for the A SCISSORS action.
well, said several gentlemen in chorus.
Slebe just refers US 10 the action taken by
the Slate Board Oi Equalization last year
and says he doesn't want repetition OF 1T
that is all the satisfaction to be got from
bim."
st is my opinion" said another, that
the whole business is a job to beat the dol
lar-llmt pledge. The politicians want the
money, tbave made up their mind to get l..
and in order that they may not seem 10 be
breaking any pledges have hit upon this
plan of ACCOMPLISHING their ends. If they
evened up things. however, il would not be
so bad. but as IL is they are making fish of
one and flesh of the other
WHERE THE SHOE PINCHEs.
Now. some Of these increases seem to
me fair enough, considering that they have
been undeTvalued for many years The
Preside and Pacific Heights property is
justly Increased, but the downtown and sub
urban properties are very unfairly treaied."
The consensus of opinion in the informal
meeting was that the people affected ought
to unite In some course of action for the de-
feat OF the assessment as il now stands.
Whatever is TO be done must be done soon,
as the Supervisors have no power IL sit as a
Board OF Equalization after midnight of the
18th inst. Meanw lille propeIty-owners
would do well to inspect the lists and pre-
pare 10 join their neighbors in whatever ac-
ton may be decided upon.
Nome OF the gentlemen who ventured TO
criticize the Assessors work were willing
to allow their names to appear, on the
ground that 1t would be suicidal for them to
do so. IF this were election year." they
saNd etx~sa aFsVhe IL l.,N