The San Francisco call., 1896-11-29
MAY SUE THE
CITY FATHERS
Property Owners. Want
Their Rebates on Taxes
Paid.
Brokers Making Fat Commits.
sions Out of the Super.
visorS' Delay.
Auditor Broderick Says That the
Board Has No Right TO Hold
Back the Funds.

Unless the Board OF Supervisors allows
the payment OF the rebate on taxes paid
in the early months OF this year to begin
on December it is probable that it will
have Iarge-sized storm about its ears.
A large number OF those who have
claims against the City on this score are
quietly arranging pooling of interests
with the ultimate object OF beginning
proceedings to compel the board to allow
the payment of the rebate:
During the months of March, April,
Nav and June of this year about %, 600
pro erty-owners paid their taxes on the
81 25 rate fixed by the Supervisors last
year and became entitled TO rebate when
the Supervisors fixed a lower rate for this
year.
The law says that taxpayers who have
paid higher rate than the one fixed by
the Supervisors shall be entitled to a re-
| bate immediately on presentation of their
receipts after the Auditor has computed
the amount due them, and that the
Treasurer must pay their demands at
once.
The Auditors accounts. showing the
amount due each OF the $4,000 taxpayers,
have been finished and ready for use for a
IuOnLu past, Dul OWING 10 the aCtlOn OF Inc
Supervisors have never been used. The
attorney em ployed by the board to collect
delinquent taxes r~com mended some time
ago that the rebates due those who were
delinquent in former years be held as pay
ment for the delinquencies, and the board
ordered that the payment of re bates be de-
!erred until Decem ber 2, the legality of the
proceeding to be looked into in the mean
tine. The money tied up by the resolu-
ton aggregates $l75,000. and those TO
whom II belongs are growing anxious
about it. A large number have. been still
further alarmed about The payment of
their claims by receiving postal cards on
which was printed the following:
You are entitled to g. rebate on the taxes
which you paid last spring. 1t will probably
be months, if ever, before this rebate is finally
paid and there will be oyer 80, 900 claimants
in line. l am ready TO pay cash for your
claim now. There will be no delay, no wait
ing ior months and in the end Standing in line
for hours If you bring your 1896 receipt TO
this office and get your cash from me at once.
13O Mills building, fifln floor.
It is said. that Musaus and others who
are engaged III the same business are
backed by syndicate, which has pat up
the cash to buy several thousand claims
and expects to make from $50, 600 to $50, 900
out Of the transaction.
The average offer when claimants call
to sell .leir Claims Is ABOUT 0U per cent,
the rest being clear profit. as the only
form 10 go through is 10 present the re-
ceipt, get an order on the treasury and
draw the money.
Auditor Broderick said yesterday that
in bis opinion the board had no right 10
hold rebates to pay delinquent taxes, and
that if the delinquent tax collector wants
to earn his commissions he has regular
legal way through the courts.
These people have been out their money
for an average of seven months" he said,
"and the cash has been lying idle in the
treasury, when it might have been draw
ing interest or used in business. 1t
looks a little like standing them up to
keep them out of their just dues in this
way. The law on the matter is plain, and
/ see trouble ahead for the City if the
money is. not released on Decem be + 2.
The only ones who are benefiting by this
delay. as far as can see, are the brokers
who are buying up the claims
Those who are arranging for action
a ainst the City are reticent about the
matter, but state that they will do moth
ing until after Decem Der 2, when the de-
lay caused by the boards resolution ex-
pires.
The action, il any is commenced, will
take the form of an injunc ton against the
Supervisors from interfering further in
the distribution of the rebates.