The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-01-15
ERROR IS AVOIDED.
Frank Paul's New Plan of As
sessment Records.
IT DESCRIBES ALL PROPERTY.
Entry OF Each Piece OF Property Ac-
companied by . Map Of It-No
Double Assessment Possible.

The present system Of records on which to
base the property assessments OF King county
was adopted by ex-Assessor Paul last April in
compliance with the revenue law of 1891 This
law requires that all real estate il the county be
assessed in the order of the situation Of the
property upon the land maps. By this system
the land itself and not the owner OF 1t Is as
sesscd. To DO this it was necessary to make
and record full description OF the property,
the name of the owner and the value OF the
land.
By merely making such an entry in his
records Assessor Paul would have done all that
was required by the law; but he has gone fur
Their than this and added a series of water color
maps and plats, which are put upon the oppo-
site page of the record book. By this system
one may at glance read not only the descrip-
ton OF the property, but see it represented on q
map which shows not only the position OF the
land but its relation to other tracts and many of
its physical features, as well as the position of
railways in relation to il.
On August % the work OF making up the alb
stract was begun, which consisted in the first
place OF making an accurate map of each Sec
ton of land in the county according to the
United States government survey. showing the
meanders of all streams and bodies Of water
In the section, and also the right-oi-way of each
railroad and the number OF acres contained in
the right-oi-way
The next step was to accurately scale in and
map each subdivision which has been plated
into lots and blocks, showing the name OF the
pat or addition and the volume aud page
in which the same is recorded in the auditors
ONCE. These plats are executed in water
coioEs. and the property shown in them is as
sessed separately from the section in which
they are situated, in alphabetical order as re-
CARDS the name OF the addition, and numerically
as regards the lot or block in each addition
Alter I'LL the plats are mapped out and eolored
In the section, what remains uncolored shows
the land that remains unplatted and subject to
assessment AS uupia,ted land.
" hen this work has been completed the
county records are referred to fo- each sub
division OF the imp at;ed land. and the lana
owne; oy each person or corp ration is accur-
ateiy scaled IN 10 show the shape, III
mansions and number OF acres in each piece. In
tnis way double assessments are avoided and no
land can escape assessment After AL the map
ping and p a,ting has been finished, descrip-
tions OF each subdivision. together with the
numoer OF acres, value, road aud school dis
trlces and owners names are inscr4 bed on a
book known as the acre abstract book opposite
each sectional map. Each of the pl1ts Ii the
acre abstract book is numbered as to refer 10
definite page in n set of books, duplicates of
the records i'll the auditors Office called the lot
and block abstract book. In these books the lots
ana blocks are shown under the same syatsm as
III the acre abstract books.
This system was undertaken by e1.Asoessor
Paul, but Assessor Abraham is conviucedoi its
advantages and will continue thu work during
his term Of office. The two main advantages
are that, while 10 land can escape assessment
the vexation and trouble arising from double
assessment IS entirely ohviated. 1t will require
great amount OF work TO have all the property
map ped up to date. but when this has once
been accomplished every additional change can
be easily filled in and in the end much labor
and expense will be saved to the county. When
the work is completed, q: least one third of the
time ana trouble now spent in making the assess
ment will be saved Al present only three
ranges, beginning from the western boundary
OF the county have been completed, but, as
these extend as far east as q line drawn through
the center of Lake Washington, it will be seen
to include the most valuable land in the county
The office force is hard at work making out the
books and maps, and the assessment OF 1898 viii
in great measure be based upon it.
Its value to property owners is illustrated by
the fact that in making up this abstract OF
acre property many deeds are found of record
that conflict with previous deeds, also many
that are defective in description, that they
DO not describe the land intended to be con-
yeye0. In such cases, where the owners can be
found, they notified OF such defects and
they, Of course, make all effort to correct title
great value. 1t would be well for any property
owner 10 call at the assessor I'll &c and look at
his property as represented on the books.