The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-01-12
IT CAN NOT Be DONE
A Real Estate Mans Offer to the Com
misSioners Refused
]. R. MARKLEY'S LONG LIST
IL Was Also Decided to Take No
Further Action I'm That Matter
Delinquent Taxpayers VIII
Probably Be Sued.

The county commissioners have re-
ceived a proposition from a real estate
dealer to purchase all the certincates
OF sales for delinquent taxes where the
property has been sold to the county.
The commissioners were doubtful as to
their power in the matter and referred
the proposition to County Attorney
Wines. who gave an adverse opinion
yesterday. in which he said:
The statutes provide for the county
to become the purchaser and further
provide the manner in which the coun-
ty may dispose of the property so pur-
chased by II. Section 1926 provides
that when the county has become the
purchaser of any real estate sold for
delinquent taxes and the same Is not
redeemed by the person entitled so 10
do, and the time for redemption mas
expired, the board of county commits
sioners may at any time by an ORDER
made and entered upon the minutes OF
its proceedings, proceed to sell the
same at public auction. In relation TO
this matter the county can only pursue
the course laid down in the statute,
and has no right to go beyond the
powers therein conferred. l therefore
conclude that the county cannot sell GER
tificates Of sale which ii may hold, but
that 1t must pursue the statutory rem
edy as provided by the statutes"
The commissioners gave further con-
sideration yesterday TO the tax list OF
]. r. Markley, but came to no conclu-
sion Mr.. Markley was before the board
and repeated his suggestions that the
commissioners name a man to check
up the list with him for the purpose of
demonstrating that the list was cor
rect and that 1t contained correct
statement of the property that has es-
capped assessment. The board were
convinced, from what examination they
made of the list, that II was not cor
rect. and that they could not use ii as
a guide for determining actually what
property should be added to the tax
roll. When Mr.. Markley first secured
the contract he tried to compromise
with the commissioners on list of
present owners of property in the coun-
~ instead of providing a list of prop
erty that had PROFESSIONALLY escaped
taxation, but the commissioners would
not have IL, and insisted on what the
contract called for or nothing. The list
which he finally submitted to the COM
missioners, so they allege, was imper-
feet in a good many respects. One
great difficulty encountered is the fact
that many lode claims on record and
included in Mr.. Markley's list, cover
stances where the same property has
several names. Commissioner Lloyd
asked Mr.. Markley why he did not
give the names of patentees in his list
of lode claims so that Their ewould be
no trouble In determining the correct
ness of II, but he replied that he did
not consider II a part of his duty I'M
der his contract.
Mr.. Markley insists that his list is
correct, and that only very small per
cent. of the descriptions in IT are on the
tax roll, but the commissioners say that
If there were but half dozen errors IL
would be reason sufficient for refusing
to accept the list and II is probable
that the boards action in refusing to
accept II will not be reconsidered.
The commissioners yesterday made a
request on the assessor to prepare
statements and procure testimony in
the tax cases of the St. James hospital
Anaconda Mining company and James
A. Murray, which will probably soon
be tried in the district court