The times., 1899-03-23
THE Title TO A LOT
CLAIMED BY TWO MEN
Found Officially Recorded in
the Name of Each.
A Decision Against the Man Who
Paid Taxes Up to Date.
The Courts viii Now Have to I'm
tnngie the BIunder-Other Mu-
nicipnI News of Day.

s. T. Thomas, Attorney for the District,
has handed an opinion to the Commits
sioners relative to the complicated con-
several parties to the title of lot IA, in
square $50, bounded by NJ and and Sixth
and Seventh Streets southeast, opposite
the navy yard. The matter has engrossed
the attention of the Commissioners ever
since Colonel Black was District En-
gineer Commissioner, and has been pro-
ductive of several opinions from Attorney
Thomas, besides reports from the Assessor,
Assistants TO the Engineer Commissioner,
and the Surveyor.
II appears that on May %, 1897, NJ. P.
Caldwell applied to the Surveyor to have
duplicate plats made of original lot II, in
square SS2. This was done and Caldwell
made the required affidavit that he was the
owner of the lots in fee simple subject
to a trust. The plats were approved by
the Commissioners and forwarded by them
TO the Surveyor on July Z. 1897, with in
structions TO record the subdivision.
In March, 1895. James Frazer wrote TO
the Commissioners asking for the can
collation. of this subdivision, which had
! been made, stating that he had owned the
lot for forty years. Upon the advice of
Attorney S. T. Thomas, the Commission
ers refused to grant Frazer's request.
Frazer was not content with this action
and wrote TO the Commissioners again in
January of the present year reasserting
his ownership of the lot, saying that he
had been paying taxes on ii since 1856.
He asserted that he has not conveyed the
lot TO anyone and repeated his former
request for the cancellation of the sub
division.
The Assessor then made report, from
which ii appears that Frazer held q tax
title to the property from the corporation
of Washington and that on his books the
property had been continuously assessed
to Frazer II also appeared that he had
apparently been paying taxes on the lot
up to the present time. The matter was
referred to the Attorney, who again called
attention TO his former advice on the sub
ject.
Another person entered the controversy
March last, in the person of John Ridout
whose clients had purchased lots in the
subdivision. Ridout stated that he had
been unable 10 get the subdivision record
ed properly on the Assessors books. The
Assessor refused to make the record by
reason OF the claim of Frazer and because
there had been no quit claim from Frazer
recorded in his office.
The subdivision of Caldwell was record
ed July I, 1897. by Direction of the Com
missioners. The latter by this act recog-
nized Caldwell as the owner of the prop
erty subdivided; they were supposed to
have gone into the question of ownership
Of the lot before approving the subdivision.
1t is stated that upon faith of the subdivi-
sion Mr.. Ridout's clients bought the sub
divided lots and requested the Assessor to
record the subdivision.
II is believed by the Commissioners that
the subdivision must be recognized
by the Assessor since it has
been duly recorded in the office of the
surveyor. and Frazer, Caldwell, and Rid
outs clients will be notified that the ques-
tion is one of title that should be settled
in the courts.