New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-08-13
DETECTING TO VALUATIONS.
MANY ACTIONS AGAINST THE ASSESSORS
LIKELY.
CONTENTIOUS OF THE BROOKLYN HEIGHTS AND
BROOKLYN CITY RAILROAD COMPANIES
OTHER ALLEGED OVER
VALUATIONS.

VALUATIONS.
One Of the principal legal questions which Will
come up for determination in the Supreme Court
this fall involves the work OF the Board Of AS
SCISSORS in valuing property for taxation In the
present year A number OF corporations and
some private individuals, complaining OF the
amount of taxes levied as too large, have OBJ
tanned from the Supreme Court wrts Of GER
tiorari and on the return Of these writs the
correctness Of the assessments VIII be threshed
out in the courts. The time for obtaining these
wrts OF certiorari has not yet expired, ana some
others are yet to he obtained, but the llst so lar
is possibly shorter than it was last year Inc
legality of the assessments this year Involves
number of nice legal questions however, which
have never been raised before. and whch VIII
act as determnatives in future work OF the
Board OF Assessors.
one Of the principal fights will be made against
the contention of the Brooklyn Heights ana
BROOKLYN City Railroad companies together tha'
their assessments are altogether too heaVy' Inc
Roord Of Assessors have valued the capital
stock Of these companies at 81 O3233O 1t Is
co,tended that the debts of the companies and
the assessed value of their real estate more than
canal the amount of the capital stock, ana,
therefore the capital stock should not be as
sessed at all When the assessment was hrst
levied it was less than it is at present Inc
railroad companies applied to the Board Tor
review. which was granted. but instead Of re-
ducing the assessment it was increased. Ihen
the application was made to the courts, the
contention of the companies being tnat 'he
BOARD had no power to increase an assessment
after It was once levied The question VIII be
determined upon a strict construction OF the
statute and IL is an interesting point that mas
not heretofore been raised. The return OF the
writ of certorari is set down for SATURDAY out
il is improbable that argument VIII ne hao OH
that date.
The Brooklyn and the Kings County Eie-
waited Railroad companies have OBTAINED Wits
Of certiorari for the review OF the assessments
of their property on grounds similar 10 'hose
on which they based their Applications last
wear The Board of Assessors placed Nalua-
tion on the structure Of each company OF Hl'o'-
600 a mile and the companies contend that ow-
ing 70 the deterioration of the structure from
age and other causes 1t is not worth more
than So. 1000 a mile This is substantially the
same question raised last year and those cases
are now pending on appeal
The Brooklyn Heights Railroad Company IN
dividualv has obtained writ for the review
n
BOARD placed it ut 100000. but the company
saws that it has no personal property at all
that is subject to taxation.
As was published in The Tribune few days
aga the heirs Of the late Edwin Litchfeld have
again objected t. the assessments on their
propcrtv contending that it is overvalued TO
lavga extent and that the assessors are preJ-
indeed apainst them account or the pre-
,.inus litigation which they have brought
against the Board alleging unfairness or Valua-
.rff
involving several hundred thousand dollars and
II is probable that the present actions will await
III. determination of these proceedings.
Grace Howell Behr who owns the house al
~ - Picrropont-st which assessed at
So OOO has obtained writ of certiorar to re-
view the assessment on the ground that the
valuation is $1,000 too much. Thomas FER
euson. who owns property in the Thlrty-hrst
Ward has obtained similar writ. contending
that tho assessment Of property in the vicinity
Of his land Is unequal and that his property Is
oyeryalucd. r.,
Threa writs Of Ccrtorari were obtained from
Justice Clement. Of the supreme Court, yestel-
Jav one was by the r. +. Teves Coal Company,
which has Yards at the foot Of North First-st.
Tn assessors valued the real property OF the
company m S11IOuo and the personal at Sl''-
Isl Tho c0npanv says that the item or per-
sonal property should be wiped out entirely, as
the company has no taxable personality. IL Is
cont.ulcd that the assessment Of real prop
orr. H. also too large and reduction OF that Is
asked The other two Writs were ohtained ny
the BROOKLYN Warehouse and storage COM
uanv and the Macom Brewing Company, nolh
of whom declare that the valuations placed on
their property should be materially decreased'