The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1895-02-24
ITE AUTHOR EXPLAINS ALLEGED
VALUABLE FEATURES OF
THE MEASURE.
NOT A MONEY-LOSING PLAN,
REPLY TO OBJECTIONS ADVANCED
BY THE CONTROLLER AND
AUDITOR.

SACRAMENTO, Feb. 23.-Many men are
making fortunes throughout California
to-day buying property sold for delinouent.
taxes, but there is bill now awaiting
Governor Budd's signature that will
change all this.
The law at present enables those buving
property in this manner to charge the
owner redeeming it sometimes as much as
500 per cent advance on the original tax
This includes the penalty and many
onerous and needless expenses.
The new bill, which confers on the State
the power of purchasing the lands on
which taxes are unpaid, was introduced by
Bulla of Los Angeles.
There seems to be considerable misun-
derStanding as to its nature. In an inter-
view with Controller Colgan and Auditor
Broderick published in the CALL of the
18th inst. those gentlemen declared against
the bill Mr. Colgan said that if the bill
allowing the State to buy the land sold for
taxes became a law the State would
soon own most of the property and there
would be nothing to tax. Auditor Brod-
erick said the State would lose revenue, as
property-owners would allow their land to
be sold and redeem it after twenty years
had passed by, paying the taxes on its
original assessed value
Mr.. Bulla explained to-day that appar-
emily neither of these gentlemen was
aware of the provisions of his bill. 1t
allows five years for the redemption of
land sold for taxes. After this time, the
State receives deed. The land is assessed
during the five years following the sale,
and the Tax Collector is required to stamp
across the face of the tax receipts the
words: "Sold for taxes" In this way, any
one paying taxes on land - sold will be
sure to receive notice without ANY expense
whatever.
This feature" said Mr.. Bulla, "will
correct one of the most undesirable effects
of the present law. Now the land has to
be assessed for only one year after the date
of the sale. The lands are then stricken
from the assessment-rolls. In this way
much property, now of great value, is en-
tirely omitted from the rolls, and escapes
all taxation.
"Why, in San Francisco it is a notorious
fact that many properties worth thousands
OF dollars are paying no taxes to the State
whatever. What is more, they cannot be
taxed under the present law
Mr.. Bulla's bill materially reduces the
penalty for redemption. Under the ex-
listing law the owner pays so per cent, no
matter if he redeems twenty four hours
after the sale. According to the new bill,
if the redemption is made within six
months the penalty is but 10 per cent; if
within one year, 20 per cent; two years, 40
per cent; three years, 60 per cent; four
years, so per cent; five years or any greater
number of years, 100 per cent. This, Mr..
Bulla urged, would encourage early re-
demption.
"Mr. Colgan and Mr.. Broderick claimed
that the bill would affect the revenues of
the State" Mr. Bul1a said. "They must be
aware, though, that individuals who now
make a business of purchasing tax titles
amass fortunes thereby. 1t is absolutely
absurd to contend that the State would
lose money by doing that which makes
these people wealthy. Besides, at present
the deinquencies do not exceed per cent
of the total assessment roll, so that the
State could not possibly suffer for at least
eleven months of the year succeeding the
delinquent sale, and before that time the
redemptions will be sufficient, even with
the small penalties imposed to more than
equal the total amount of delinquencies
In this way the State is doubly benefited
in that the State instead of the speculator
receives the penalties, and the citizen is
relieved Of heavy expense.
"What l consider one of the most valua-
BILE features of the bill,' Mr.. Bulla con-
cluded, "is the provision that lands here
tofore sold to the State and not redeemed
shall be decided to the State after the ex-
piration of one year from the passage of
the bill, provided the sale has taken place
five years before the date of such deed.
This viii give the State title for lands now
withheld from the assessment-rolls, and of
which the State has now no means of OBJ
tanning possession, except by an action to
quiet title, the cost of which would in
many cases exceed the value of the land "