The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-07-19
REALTY DECLINING.
Board Of Equalization Toll
That Property Values
Are Falling.

engaged in making comparative tables of
the assessments on the different townships in
the northern section of the county. He re-
presents a very large estate which owns a
vast amount of property in each of them.
When he began his researches he informed
the Board of Equalization Of Taxes that his
only object was to ascertain personally
whether the valuations made by the assessors
were relatively the same, and fair n equi-
table. Yesterday the Captain announced at
the meeting that he had concluded his inves.
tigation and as a result found, that The
Township of Union had in his opinion been
very unjustly assessed as a whole, for the
valuations had been greatly increased by
Assessor Howarth over those imposed by the
assessors of other townships.
81 fonnd," said Captain Symes, that the
valuation of the Township of Union was
placed by the assessors in 1894 at 81, 222, 600.
The Board of Equalization considered this
valuation too low, and added a general in
crease of 10 per cent. on the gross amount,
with further increased the valuation 1922, 260.
This added to the Assessors returns made
the gross valuation S., Al, $50. This year
the Assessors very properly took the valua-
ton fixed by the Board of Equa lization for
a OASIS TO WORK OIL, DuD U6 was QOD Sdu1Slleu
to nave the valuation fixed by the Board.
He made a return to the Board of a valua-
ton of 50, S26, 800, having increased the as
sessment 1881, TAO over that fixed by the
Board last year"
VALUES DECREASING.
The Captain then said that the improve
mentS to real estate had been SO slight that
this great increase was not warranted. In
fact that owing to the general depression in
real estate, valuations had actually decreased
instead of increased. The Captain compared
the valuations, with those of adjoining town
ships and declared that he believed the
Township of Union had been assessed an
tirely too high.
perhaps the other townships are assessed
too low" commented Commissioner Mclean.
81 don't know as to that" Captain Symes
replied, but / do know that the valuation is
not an equitable one."
"How do you explain the increase in o
townships' inquired Commissioner Morgan
OF the Assessor.
1.-THE greatest portion of the increase was
caused by acting upon the advice of the
that the lots on Bergenline Avenue that
were assessed for $500 each, should have a
valuation of 81, 900, and I acted on that sug-
gestion. In some other important streets |
increased the valuation in proportion"
at seems to me" commented Commits
SlOQ6T MORGAN bnaB bIl6 VdluaDlOu u bu6
township is too high when compared with
other townships. If the Assessor desires to
take pack his field book and revise his assess
ments. which he has a right to do, l think he
ought to have the privilege
HE has that right under the law said
President Van Reipen, .'and for that matter
if he thinks he has made an error it is his
duty to correct it,
The Assessor plainly intimated that he did
not think an error had been made by him
and he did not ask to be allowed to revise
his assessment. After some conversation
over the matter Commissioner McLeans who
evidently agreed with Assessor Howarth,
asked: Why not raise the valuation of the
other townships to that of the Township of
Unions Commissioner Morgan said he did
not believe that such action would suit the
State Board Of Assessors, and might result
in trouble.
Mr.. Morgan continued
UNION ASSESSED o HIGH.
"It is an undeniable fact, which we all
know, that since July, 1898, real estate val
uations have been decreasing, and in 1894 the
the valuations were not SO low as they are
now, If we increase them this year we adj
nit by so doing that we did not raise them
valuable in this county. Personally | think
the Township of Union is assessed too high:
but, however, this is a question for the Board
to decide"
This ended the discussion for a time over
that subject.
Assessor Dollard of Hoboken showed that
he had pursued his usual method Of Ignoring
the law and the rules of the Board of Equal
~ization, by reporting that be had not de-
Quoted from the valuations he had returned
for Hoboken the exemptions. These, he
said. amounted to SSS,600, divided thus
Real estate, $50, 900; personal property, $685.
700; total, SSS.600.
President Van Reipen asked Dollard stern
ly why he had not deducted the exemptions
at the time he filed with the Board his field
book, and the Assessor calmly replied that
such was not the custom OF the Board and
he had never heard of this regulation before,
although he had been Assessor a number of
years. President Van Reipen sharply told
him that it was not only the custom, but it
was the law, and that all of the other Asses
sors had complied with it.
DoLLARD'S FEELINGS NOT HURT.
This did not hurt Dollards feelings any,
he simply reiterated that he had never
made his exemptions before filing his re-
turns.
Commissioners Morgan and O'Donnell told
Dollard that he knew that the law re-
CURED that the exemptions for veteran
and exempt firemen should be noted in the
field book at the time the assessment was
made, and to prove that the Board had fol-
lowed this law since 1890, an opinion from
Incorporation Counsel Edwards to the
Board OF Equalization on this subject was
read. The opinion at length set forth that
the exemptions should be riArie when the
property was assessed. Dollarl never