The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-05-11
QUEERPROPBRTY VALUES
Dave Lawrence on Agricu1-
tural Estates and Farm
Lands.
NEW COUNTY ROAD IDEAS.
Owners Who Think the Improve
ment Will Depreciate the
Lots That Lie Upon It
Will Think Differently
When They Sell.
NEW COUNTY ROAD IDEAS.

By far the most interesting meeting
that has been held by the Com mmissioners
appointed to condemn lands for the
County Road took place yesterday in
Chancery Chambers. The Commission
ers present were John J. VOORHEES,, Gar
wood Ferris aud John Headden. Jr.,
Ex Judge Garretson and Chief Engineer
Harrison were advisers to the Commits
sioners, and William Smith was clerk.
The lands under discussion lay in the
Third or Bergen Section, and a large
number of interested persons were pres
ent.
The most important piece of property
examined was the we'll known estate of
the late George Clifford. 1t consists of
eleven acres situated between BentIy and
Belmont avenues, north and south, and
Bergen and West Side avenues, east and
west. The land is one of the most desir-
able places in the city for building
purposes, but including SEQ, 600
house it is assessed for only 800 as
farm land, as at trifie more than $1,000
an acre. A fair valuation of the prop
erty is $125, 900, or more than double what
it is assessed for, and it is more than
doubtful if it could be bought for $780,
900. This section of the city was assessed
by David w. Lawrence, and he, perhaps.
can explain why the rich estate pays so
little taxes.
A SORT OF BOOMERANG.
Inasmuch as'rhe Giffords had permit
ted their estate, or the greater portion of
1t, to be assessed for taxing purposes, as
farm land, the Commissioners of Con-
demnation proceeded in their inquiry on
that basis. They had three well known
real estate agents, Messrs. Emmons,
before them to give their opinions
as to the value of the property, and the
damage or benefits that would result to
it by the county road taking strip of
100 feet wide and SIG feet long through
the land.
The boulevard enters the Clifford prop
erty at Belmont avenue 765 feet east of
Bergen avenue and runs through to
Bentley avenue at point 695
feet east OF Bergen avenue. The
tract of land from Bergen
avenue to West Side avenue is 1900 feet
long, but passing Bentley avenue, east OF
the boulevard, the Giffords own put rs
feet front, having sold a strip 140 deep to
West Side avenue. On Belmont avenue
the county road passes house that had
been sold by the Giffords with clearance
of feet 2 inches. This narrow strip is
120 feet long. A number of other
lots have been sold by the estate,
In forming their valuations of this prop.
erty the experts only differed to the ex-
tent of 81 .800.
The four lots taken by the County Road
on Belmont avenue We're valued By Mr.
Cronan at $3.50 each, or total of So, 600.
Lots very near them are assessed at $500.
The four lots on Bentley were valued ut
81, 200 each. or in all $4,000. The interior
between Bentley and Belmont avenues
about three-fourths of an acre, was
valued at s1.S75. The total amount of
this estimates of Mr.. Cronin was $9.675.
Mr.. Emmons made the figure $1l 400. and
about $1,000 is probably the sum that
will be considered by the Commits
sioners.
BENEFITS AS WELL AS DAMAGE
This is the simple price of the land, but
In this connection the Commissioners
will doubtless determine whether the
County Road will damage or benefit the
balance of this property by making it
marketable for building purposes.
After this expert evidence was received
Lawyer Clifford, on behalf of the other
heirs. asked to be heard. He was ac-
corded the privilege, and informed the
making their award they should consider
eray @aS' was vas to "''f the Gifrords. prfP ae
said much of the land had been so valued
as farm land. This he thought unjust,
for 1t had been the intention of the heirs
W SOll Vic Cutito pAopCluy III
lots. He produced an agreement which
he said had been entered into by the heirs
two years ago, 1t showed that 1t had been
determined to open n street to
run through the centre of the
land from Bergen avenue to West SiGe
avenue, and to call it Clifford street. This,
he said, would give lots fronting on Bel
mont and Bently avenues and Clifford
street, The lots were to be sold only
upon condition that o dwelling costing not
less than S., 600 should be erected there.
He said that this Grifford street
would be more beneficial 10 the estate
than the boulevard, for people who could
afford to buy these lots would not want
to live on such thoroughfare as the
County Road would be. He claimed that
IL the street was opened
and the boulevard crossed it,
as proposed, the estate would suffer
a great loss. His explanation was vague
in regard TO how the loss would be
brought about, but it seemed to resolve
itself into the idea that if the Boulevard
gave more corner lots and and an elegant
drive passed in front of them, they would
be deprecated.
REFLECTING ON LAWRENCE.
Then, as If to show that Assessor David
w. Lawrence was deficient In his knowl-
edge of valuations when he assessed the
entire estate for sos. 500, Mr.. Clifford said
lots on Bentley avenue were worth
$500. He mentioned a number of
sales ranging from $40 to sos q
foot for lots. Mr.. Clifford further
argued that the lots on the unopened
Clifford street would be worth more than
those on Bentley avenue. He thought
this would sell for $l.500. He concluded
by informing the Commissioners that he
believed the estate would be damaged
about $27, 900 by the Boulevard.
An examination of the agreement was
made by eX-Judge Garretson, and he dis
covered that it only covered the land
Iying between Bergen avenue and the
County Road line, aud that Clifford street
could not be opened to West Side avenue
without the consent of the Clifford who
owned that portion of the estate.
THE BOGERT PROPERTY.
When r. j. Bogert's property was con-
sidered by the Commissioners they found
that Mr., Bogert owned 60 feet front on
the north side of Communipaw avenue,
which ran back 1904 feet. The County
Road will take off 2906 of
the the front and leave about 81 feet
front. 1t would make the house n corner
one. Expert SDengeman valued the prop
erty at 5000 for a 25-foot lot, and thought
the boulevard would enhance the value or
the remaining portion $1,000. Mr..
Emmons placed the value at
$3.50 a lot, and Mr.. Cronan
at 500. The same estimates prevailed
concerning the lot owned by Albert b.
Bogert adjoining. The Bogerts thought
thair lnnd xvaa vorkh $500 a rvvenrv feet