Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-05-22
MAY LOSE YOUR LAND
THIS RESULT THREATENS OWNERS
OF DELINQUENT PROPERTY.
OPERATION OF The NEW LAW.
A Syndicate Preparing to Levy ON
Those Who Have Not Paid Their
Tsxes-The Five Dollar Fine--Lists
Are Almost Ready for Filing.

The new law as TO the sale of delin-
quent lands. passed by the last General
Assembly, Is about to become operative
through the enterprise OF a syndicate OF
| gentlemen, OF whom Mr.. w. II. Werth.
OF Colburn, Va, and Mr.. Roland z.
Chase, Of Clintwood. Va. are the active
| representatives.
| These gentlemen arrived in the city on
the 18th instant, and have spent their
time since then In preparing list from
the textbooks In the Hastings Court OF
property which stands charged to the
State for Overdue taxes.
This new law allows any one who will.
when property is delinquent for two
years, make application to the Clerk OF the
court for the purchase Of the property
Notices are thereupon served on the
owners of the property and the holders
has been registered within ten years.
When these notices are served the owner
Of the property must pay his taxes forth
with, together with all the cost of Is
suing and serving the notices and 50
bonus, which last-named sum goes to the
applicant.
THEY CANNOT LOSE.
The people who are engaging in this
undertaking cannot possibly lose any
thing while they are bound to receive
the s. bonus, and may succeed In getting
valuable piece Of property for a very
few dollars.
The object sought in the passage of
this bill was to compel people to pay
their taxes, and there is little doubt that
1t will have the desired effect 1t Is
somewhat remarkable that the old law,
which was even more sweeping in its
terms, should not have attracted atten-
ton. It allowed applicants to seize land
upon payment of the tax due, without
giving notice to any one except the per-
son in whose name 1t was assessed, and
without any notice IL that person did not
live in the same county or city in which
the property was situated neither did 1t
require notice to be given to the holder
Of deed of trust
The change in the act was brought
about at the last session through the in
strumentality of the Richmond repre-
sentatives in having a more radical mea-
sure modified.
LISTS HAVE BEEN PREPARED.
The gentlemen who are in the city pre-
pairing the lists have declared their in
tention Of filing their applications early
this week. They will do this in patches
of twenty or more. They have confined
their attention for the most part to Clay
Ward and the Lee District, where pro-
perty is becoming more and more vaIua-
BILE, and the owners in this section, who
are in arrears with their taxes. may con-
fdently expect to hear from the gentle
men in the near future. unless they shall
speedily comply with the law.
One OF the hardships entailed by this
act reflects on the property-owner who
lives out of town. In such cases an Or
der of publication suffices and the land
becomes the property Of the applicant
upon payment of the taxes When the
property is secured in this manner the
title is given to the applicant absolutely
free of all encumbrances.
Mr.. Werth has spent several days In
Newport News since his first arrival
here, and it is believed that the same |
plan is to be put into execution in that
city.