The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1894-07-06
LAWS OF FLORIDA.
An Act for the Assessment and Ccllec-
ton Of Revenue.


An Act for the Assessment and Ccllec-
ton Of Revenue.
To the Editor Of the Banner,
DEAR SIR Would you have The
kindness to publish the following ex-
tract, taken from the revenue law
passed at the last session of the Flori-
da legislature, for the information of
the people:
SECTION s.. When the purchaser Of land at a
tax sale goes into actual possession of such land
suit for the recovery of the possession thereof
shall be brought by the former owner or claim
ant, his heirs assigns his their legal rep
resentative for the recovery of the possession OF
such land. unless such suit be commenced within
four years after the purchaser at such tax sale
goes into possession Of the land so bought and
the purchaser at such tax sale, where said real
estate is in the adverse actual possession of any
person or persons shall not be entitled to recover
possession Of such real estate bought at such tax
sale, unless suit for such recovery shall be
brought within one year from the date of acquir-
ing right to such tax title; and z0he,e any par-
chaser IF aHy real estate. situated ms state,
pf7oy 10 ne passage mis- Ac has mol entered into
aud taken actual possession Of tie same he shall,
aoithsH oae rear from ne passage Of this dct.
BRING Suit for the fecoge,y Of actual possession ~
the real estate deScyi5ed IN sach Tar nile. and
aetauIt thereof Sasd ta1 tie shall become void and
oI no e9scty P,ogided that infants, persons of
uusound mind, under guardianship or i'm
prisoned, may commence such suit proceeding
within three years after such disability shall
fc had ,x-o,
corporation Of any land sold for taxes under
this Act who has not prior to the sale, paid the
taxes thereon for which the land was sold, the
person or corporation having such recovery shalt
pay to the party from whom recovery is had, all
the taxes ne has paid upon the said land at the
time of sale, and the redemption money there
upon, together with all taxes he has paid since
said sale, with eight per cent interest thereupon
also the value of all permanent improvements
made upon said land bona fde. The amount due
for taxes paid, redemption money and improve
ments upon the land to be found upon trial for
hearing when the recovery is had.
Attention is especially called TO the
part Of this section in italics. 1t is
well Known fact that many portions of
Florida is ''shingled over" with tax
titles. Some few individuals--the
loan and trust companies nd the large
land syndicates have att nded these
tax sales, bought the lands, and when
the time fer redemption expired, de-
manded and received tax titles to the
lands so bought. They have diligent-
~ watched the future tax sales, and
when the owner or claimant paid the
taxes thereon they have never so much
as paid one cent of taxes on the lands
so bought Neither have they de-,
manded possession of the lands, nor
informed the owner or claimant of
their title to his lands, but have per-
mitted him to go ON making valuable
improvements and paying the taxes.
Most of these lands have been sold as
"owner unknown when the assessor
did know who claimed the lands and
who was in possession of them. They
did further know that the party in
possession did render an assessment
and did pay taxes, but by some mis-
take(?) (purposely or mott the wrong
lands were assessed to him, and he in
nocently paid his taxes, took his re-
ceipt, thinking that he had paid upon
the right lands. But in after years
when his land is improved or he
wishes to sell or mortgage he finds the
tax title as shadow upon his title,
and before he can proceed he is COM
PEELED to part with the "pound of
fieshp to these cormorants. Many
men to-day feel that there is no shad-
ow of title to their homes, when i'm
fact there may be one of these "tax
titles" ready to demand the pound of
flesh. tits supposed that it was the
intention of the legislature of Florida
to remove all these shadows upon the
titles TO the lands in this state-giving
both the holder of tax titles and the
owner to assert their rights. The Zone
year, expired the End of June, 1894,
and all tax titles coming under that
clause are void. 1t is here suggested
that all who know there are such titles
in existence land most all who claim
any lands in Florida may know this
go to the clerk, examine the records,
and where tax titles are found to re-
quire the clerk to mark across the face
of such record these, or words to this
effect, ''void by act of legislature, Rev
enue Law, Section 65, approved the
End of June, 1882 signed-name of
clerk and date of entry.
ONE OLE THEM