Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-01-27
A TRIFLE TOO HIGH.
An East End Man Complains of an
Advance of Over 800 Per Cent.
PLAIN TALK BY THE APPELLANTS.
Claims That Values Have Been Based Upon
aFew Fancy Sales

Claims That Values Have Been Based Upon
Few Fancy Sales.
TWO OF THE BOARD OF ASSESSORS SICK
The crowd at the City Assessors Office
yesterday was not as large as it has been for
aweek past, probably owing to the cold
weather, and fewer appeals were filed.
Not over 800 were presented, and they were
mainly from the Seventeenth ward. The
Twentieth and Twenty-frst wards contrib
uted large number, although theit time
for filing closed on Monday. Yesterday
was the last regular day tor the Thirteenth
and Thirty-second wards, but only few
the board goes on slowly. Assessor Hoerr
has been off duty on account of sickness for
two weeks, and yesterday Assessor Larkin
was confined to his bed with hemorrhage,
which may lay him up for some time. Chief
Assessor Case, the other member of the
board, concluded the revision of the Twen-
ty-ninth and Thirtieth wards yesterday and
will begin on the Thirty-second to-day.
The County Assessors book for the Third
ward is expected in to-day, and assessment
notices will be sent out at once.
Among yesterdays appeals was an inter-
esting letter from w. j. Weixel, of the
Twentieth ward. His property, 263x22O
feet, at Fifth avenue and Murdoch street,
has been Valued at S33, 500. He says that it
being 1 a acres the tract should be assessed
as ''rural'' property, and continues:
An Increase of Over 800 Per Cent.
Last year the valuation was $40. $50, and an
advance of over 900 per cent is unjust. In
the face of such assessments if this and all
similar acreage property in the East End
was placed on the market at public sale it
would not bring % cents on the dollar of as
sessment. 1t could not be sold at all: pur-
chasers could not be found for it. The very
intimation of excessive taxation has al
ready put stop to dealings in acreage
property in the East End, and unless assess
ments are restored to something like the
figures of last year the result will be dis
astrous to all owners of such property.
Some idea can be formed of whut property
would bring at bona t1de public sale in the
heart OF the business part OF the city, but
none as to what rural property will bring at
such sale. In the one case there are more
buyers than property, and in the other more
property than buyers. Iii view of the fore
going statement 1 Eculd ask, in justice, that
the assessment on my property be reduced
as L have indicated.
From the Fourth ward s. 6. Marvin ap-
peals from an assessment o! $40. 400 on 24x112
feet at Penn avenue and Evans alley, his
valuation being $4,000. Allen kirkpatrick
& Co., assessed S50.094 on 267x110 feet on Lib
erty street. state the figure is too high, and
is rated according to recent sales at fancy
prices, which they consider Unfair. They
make no estimate, but ask reduction.
q " T.
teenth ward, although it was the last regular
day for filing, and the figures of owners and
assessors differed but little.
Rachel Patrick, OF the Eleventh ward, as
sessed SIG, 200 on 60x243 feet on Center ave-
nue., asks cut to s12 coo, and Mrs. W. G.
Dunseath asks cut from 81 80 to 81, 200 on
27x6O feet at Wylie and Perry streets.
Some Heavy Kicking From the Hill.
Eighth Ward-Samuel Scott, 1872 Webster
avenue, 30x60 feet, is assessed at "a, ,05O, his
figure being 50, 100. John Glockner, 3Sx4S
feet, Fulton and Wylie avenue, assessed
S5 04o; appeal, So o0O J. d. Fackiner heirs,
40x7O feet, Fulton street. s5.400 appeal, ST. coo.
Ann Mullen, 2Ox1SO feet, Clark street, So OGO;
appeal, $500. Ernest airing, 4sx46 feet, Full
ton and Webster avenue, s7,7l6; appeal,
s., 800. James F. Moore, 40x100 feet, Center
avenue, 1900; appeal, SO 900. William Net
calf, 96xl47, Cliff and FulFon streets, 81, ,s04;
appeal, $3.50. d. A. Bergman, 25x91 feet,
Fifth avenue near Pride street, $3.50; ap-
real. Sc, 600. G. Lager, 29y 1873 Crawford street,
81 i75; appeal. $500. Il. Callahan, 25xl23
Fulton street; So, i25; appeal. 50 200. James
Hill, 40x96, Center avenue, near Crawford,
s. 200; appeal s. ooo also lSx %, 81 l7c; appeal
S9l0 II. Meyerhotfer, 60xll5, Vine street,
So LOO: appeal 81 400. 7. B. Cook. 20Sl00 feet,
Bedford ;,ve2ue, $500; appeal, 1900.
From A. Long and j. NJ. Brownson, execu-
tors of j. II. 'Snoenherger estate, the
following statement was received in rela-
tion to the valuation OF N acres on Butler,
between Forty-siXth and Forty-seventh
streets: Having received Transcript of as
sessment on II acres belonging to estate of
j. H. Shoenberger, which shows an increase
i'll valuation from $l37, ,0S8 to Sls0,3l3 or about
$6, 900 an acre, we desire to place on record
an earnest protest against this increase and
hone on reconsideration of the maj tier YOU
will see the injustice of the increase, as no
change in the general prosperity of the
city has occurred since last assessment to in
crease the value of unimproved property"
William Ward offers to sell at s., 200 a PIX
100 foot lot OH Forty-second street, which
the board assessed o. s., 100. and a $3.50 foot
lot at Butler and Eiek streets, assessed at
81 493; his valuation il. :6,6S5.
CHARLES Traveli asks Tor valuation o so
per front foot On lG5xl0J fee. at Sherman
and Forty-fourth streets, which is assessed
$62l0. On 260x100 feet on Bruce street, near
Forty-second, $l62 his valuation, $4,000.
Based Upon Few Fancy Sales.
John Runnette, on 50x150 foot lot on But
$1,000. His valuation is S10,Go0 He also ap-
pcals from sl6S553 valuation ON 72xl5O feet
at Butler and ForIy-second streets. His 6g-
ures are $l35OO, and he says: cone assessors
figures are based on the recent sale OF an ad-
Joining property, but it is not a normal
price, because the purchasers had to have
business location, and were willing to
pay it,"
The Metropolitan National Bank accept
the assessment of 81, ll6 on its 24xl6O feet vt
Butler and Forty-third streets, but ask cut
from $13, SEQ to SIC, 900 on building.
Christian SieberG, assessed $40 on 105x100
feet on Hatfield, near Forty-seventh street,
appeals to have it made So, co.,
P. W. Siebert asks cut on 100x95 at Forty
second and Sieber1 streets, which he bought
for 81, go year ago.
Frank Bruggenlan wants a reduction from
S., COO to 81, $50 on 60x96 feet on Penn avenue,
near Fisk street.
Martin Shaughnessy asks q cut from 81, 400 to
Sc, 600 on two 30NlcO foot lots on Calvin street,
with buildings thereon.
Other appeals from the Seventeenth ward
include the folio wing: L. G. Williams, Tx
100 feet, Madison near Thirty-third strest,
assessed at $3.50: appeal, 81, 200. Jacob
Seib, 2OxS6 feet, Penn avenue near Fisk
street. assessed, $1,000; appeal, 81 500. Her.
man Keller. c6xl loo feet Forty-tourth street,
assessed, 81, 700; appeal 5000. Elizabeth
Schafer, 42xl3o ieet, Forty-third street, as
sessed, s. $50: appeal, $1,000. J. II. Haselt,
20xlc0 teet Forty-fourth street. 81, 500; an