New-York tribune., 1897-08-06
OFFER FOR ROCK WOOD HALL
READY TO PROVIDE A PURCHASER FOR
THE ROCKEFELLER PROPERTY.

THE ROCKEFELLER PROPERTY.
ONE OF THE TARRYTowX ASSESSORS SAYS HE
PROPOSED TO SECURE BUYER AT sa5oOoo.
BUT THE PROPOSITION WAS NOT Ac-
CEPrED-REDUcTIoN IN IRVING
TON ASSESSMENTS.
Various rumors are In circulation in Tarry-
town. North Tarrytown and the town os Mount
Pleasant concerning the Rockefellers William
and John D.; the assessors Of Tarrytown,
Michael Martin, J. Hatfield Newman and David
Haght. and the assessments. particularly those
just completed. The assessment on William
Rockefellers property, including lockwood Hall,
last year was S11O0OOO which was five times
the total assessment in 1S05 This increase was
objected to by Mr. Rockefeller, he alleging that
his assessments were unequal. excessive ana
erroneous He applied for a writ Of certorari.
which granted and Franklin Coucn, Oh
Peekskill. was appointed referee to take testi-
mony and determine the value OF the property
Thirty-fve hearings have been held thus far
but only three witnesses have been examined,
and the probabilities that 1t will be several
years before the case Is finally settled.
This year the assessors again increased Mr..
acres in Mount Pleasant Township down at
50, ,533. 500. When this became known the peo-
pie recalled the rumors of last winter that Mr..
Rockefeller would sell all his property and move
out OF the county II the assessors did not treat
him with more consideration. This alleged in
tention finally announced a few months ago
by Mr.. Rockefeller's lawyer, and was exclusive
ly printed in The Tribune at the time.
Howard II. Morse. counsel for Mr.. Rockefeller,
told Tribune reporter yesterday that his client
had placed all his property in the hands OF sew
eral real estate agents to be sold He said Mr..
Rockefeller would sell his GAG acres in Mount
Pleasant Township for s35O,O00. and his property
In the town Of Ossnng, consisting Of 300 acres,
for $4,000. making total Of 100000.
Such an intention on the part Of Mr.. Rockefel-
er however, would seem surprising to the ma
jority Of the residents of North Tarrytown. They
say that Mr.. Rockefeller is spending S6OOOO a
year in improving his property and contend
that II he was at all inclined to sell his place he
would have stopped improving it long ago
Michael Martin. of the Board Of Assessors, Is
OF this opinion. When seen yesterday. Mr. Mar
tin said that Mr.. Rockefeller fair in his way
Of thinking, but his views differed from those Of
the assessors. When asked if he would give Mr.
Rockefeller $3j0,00O for the place, he answered
that he was not able to do So but added: IF
Mr.. Fielden Mr. Morse will give me those fig-
ures for the place above Mr. Rockefellers sig
nature. and in option of thirty days, | VIII ma
them a purchaser" He had asked for this. he
said, and the request had been refused. Even
II the place was sold for that price" he con-
tinued. II, a citizen. or an assessor, would not
consider that its proper valuation. 1t would
be simply giving it away at $4OOOOO 1t cost
$4,000 to abnet furnish one room in lockwood
Hall For that amount you could buy all the
Irishmen's shanties in this village North Tar
rytown). The question of personal property as
now assessed is a farce 1t should be assessed
wherever found, not where person chooses 10
hold his legal residence. At the least possible
calculation. Mr.. Rockefeller has 100000 worth
Of personal property in his large barns, not to say
anything Of his furnishings in his mansion. This
town does not get one cents worth Of taxes from
this as Mr.. Rockefeller holds his residence in
New-York."
The four members of the Board Of Trustees
Of the village Of Irvngton n. Y. acting as as
SCISSORS. met in the Corporation Rooms of that
village on Wednesday evening for the purpose
of considering the complaints made by the
wealthy residents Of that village against the
new assessment roll.
After thorough examination of the afidavits
and statements Of the complainants, the asses
sors made large reductions in personal property,
amounting all told to Sl,20;9OO The entire
amount Of the roll in 1896 was only S2,0ooVOo,
which was for real estate. not one or the large
number of wealthy residents being assessed for
personal property The recent Grand Jury In
vestigaton ordered by Justice keogh OF the
Supreme Court which resulted in several asses
sors being indicted for failing to assess personal
property. stirred up the Irvngton assessors and
they raised the assessments on all real estate in
the corporation, and put on the roll S3,OOO,OO0
of personal property which had never before
been assessed This is more than the entire roll
amounted to last year The real estate for 1897
has been placed at S65OOOOO.
The names Of the taxpayers whose personal
assessments were reduced, with the amounts
and the reasons for the changes. are as follows:
Name Assessment Reduced Cause.