Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-05-28
THE DELINQUENT ACT
or THE LAW NOW At
rnAcTING SO MUCH ATTENTION.
now APPLICATIONS ARE FILED.
Many Details as 60 What steps Are
10 Re Taken, How the Property
May lie Reclaimed, and Provisions
ns 10 Giving Deeds I'm such Cases.

Another large batch OF applications for
,hc purchase Of delinquent lands bought
,n by the Commonwealth and not redeem
"a was filed with Clerk Christian, OF the
I{ustlngs Court, yesterday. and the rep
,,sentatives Of two or three syndicates are
s.n busny engaged in the examination
Of records, with a view to swelling the
LIST. Nearly Geo notices have already
been handed in.
Great interest has been manifested In
the law passed by the last General As
sembly. under which these applications
are made to clerks Of courts. and a review
M the circumstances under which the act
Was passed seems seasonahle. The old
law permitted any one desiring 10 pur-
chase land which had been delinquent
f,- two years. and had been sold TO the
commonwealth. 20 file an application
With the Clerk Of the county or corpora
sion I'm which the land is situated. and
have the same served on the party I'm
whose name the taxes were assessed, pro-
,f5fi De lived in the county or corpora
t.,r i'm which the land was situated and
misht be made in any newspaper in the
county or corporation. and after comply
INK with the other requirements of the
law and the lapse Of thirty days, a deed
rrilbt bee made by the Clerk TO the APP
,I...nt This law was found TO be very
Ineffective in two perticulars-namely
first .t The land had been sold since the
taxes were assessed. the Clerk was au-
tr-r.aa5 20 make deed 20 the applicant
without any notice whatever having been
served ON The party who owned the land
III .he time the notice was served. He
,rt-ht lose his land without knowing it
gt au Neither was any notice what
ever required 10 be given 10 party hold
ire a deed Of trust on the land. So any
one who loaned money on property was
usHla 20 lose every cent of ii without re-
csiving any notice.
The second defect consisted in the char
a-tsr Of the notice, in case the owner
lived In a county other than the one in
which the land was situated. For in
stance. a party who lived in Richmond
might own a piece of property i'm Man
chester. and the only notice of the appli-
cation required was TO have il published
I'm some newspaper in Manchester, how
ever obscure IL might be- and the Clerk
could make a deed to the land, and the
owner have received no notice.
WAS FELT IN ROANOKE.
The defects in this law were observed
bv a syndicate from Bristol, Va, which
came 10 Roanoke and other places in the
state. and filed a great many applica-
tons. as is now being done in this city,
and under the law as 1t then existed.
no one could tell whether or not his
land had been applied for, as the law
regulating notices was so defective. Du-
riE the tendency Of these applications. |
I'd bin was hurriedly prepared and rushed |
through the Senate for the relief of those !
Affected and to prevent further abuses !
of the law. This bill was found to be |
defective in the House, and a suspending |
aw was passed for relief during the |
preparation of a new law.
Various measures We're proposed and |
discussed in the House Committee 10 |
which the bill was referred. There was /
strong sentiment in favor OF bringing |
rits TO sell all delinquent lands, which
g0uld have entailed. probably from S25 TO
300 cost I'm each case to have been paid by
DE landowner desiring TO redeem
here was also strong sentiment and |
very strong fight made against giving |
arties who hold deeds of trust notice,
nd also against any material change
rom the old law.
The Richmond representatives made
trong fight in favor OF giving notice TO
he party who owned the land, as well
s TO the party in whose name the taxes
ere assessed. and also to any one who
cid "A deed Of trust on the land, which
lntention prevailed. our representatives, |
$50 cOntended that If the owner of the
md lived in this State. whether in the
Junty or city in which the land was
tuated or not, personal service should |
q made OF the notice instead of a mere
ublication; and also, if he lived out Of
be- State. a regular order OF publication
Mould be executed, in the same manner
S is required TO commence suit, and
lis contention also prevailed. All OF
lcse amendments were considered wise
I'D proper.
THE OBJECTIONABLE PENALTY.
The only feature of the new law winch
objected 10 by the landowner is that
lposing a penalty Of s.. to be paid to the
lplcant, in case the owner redeems.
his is a modification Of what was pro-
,sed and strongly cOntended for. The
I'm proposed was originally $40, and
ter much contention the bill was enact
I'm its present form as compromise,
be- Richmond representatives did not adj
cate shis penalty, but were instrument
I'm having the amount reduced from
} % s.. Those who had the penalty put
tbs bill did so in order that there
irht be q stimulus TO parties to apply,
Id that delinquents might thereby he
Tired up 10 pay their taxes. The new
~ requires much more to be done by
b. spplicant than the Old one did.
nong other things, It requires an ex-
nination Of the title for ten years back,
order for the applicant 10 find out II
ere Is a deed OF trust on the lana,
IA II was thought that some compensa-
N should be made for this extra trou-
While under the new law the owner
lst nav the g penalty to redeem, under
O. old law he ran the risk OF losing ms
ia without any notice whatever, ana
e. Court Of Appeals decided that the
rchaser got a good title, provided ne {
mplied with the old law. The people
Roanoke who had a taste OF the ola +,
W were delighted to get the new
Text of the New Law. I
.ection eeS OF the code. as amended |
IDS as follows: I
When real estate so purchased IN the ,
me OF the Auditor Is not redeemed by =
previous owner. his heirs, or as =
ms. or some person having the 4
III 10 charge the same with DEBT a
hin two wears from the date OF such /,
-chase. any person desiring to pur- :
50 IL shall file an application with inc +
TX Of the county or corporation court =
.rein such real estate Is situated, Tor i
purchase of such real estate for the :,
oprt for which the sale 10 the COM 4,