The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-12-30
BACK TAX PROBLEMS
THEY ARE FULFILLING THE COUNTY
BOARD AND STATE AUDITOR
ALIKE
CLEARING !. UP THE RECORDS

County Commissioners Yesterday
Authorized settlements With
Number of Property Holders who
Are on the Rolls as DelinQuents-
State Auditor Dunn Issues H Cir
cuIar on the Subject.
At an adjourned meeting of the board
of county commissioners yesterday Com
missioner Hardick, as chairman Of a spe-
cial committee submitted report recon-
mending that delinquent taxes on 1000 de-
scriptions of land, covering the taxes be-
tween 1891 and 1897, be settled at sums
ranging from so to 66 per cent of the
amount.
Under the delinquent clearance sale to
be held next May, Commissioner Hardick
reported that the land would not bring
any more than the owners or agents Of
fered to settle for, and by accepting the
propositions the county would save the
advertising charges, which was Is cents
on each description, as we'll as the clerk
Of court fees and $1.5O sheriff's fee on
eah description. The amount received by
the county would be about $4,000, and
the committee considered 1t good settle
ment. In order to get a clear deed MI
Hardick said the owners and agents
would have to pay the taxes for 1898 and
1899 In full The report of the commit
tee was adopted by q unanimous vote
and the county officials ordered to make
the settlement. Among the larger hold
ers who will be benefited by the accept
ance Of the propositions are John Town
send, who escapes the payment of $6,745
taxes for $4,245; st. Paul Title and Trust
company, which settles taxes amounting
to $40 239. by the payment of 1929; St
Paul Trust company, as owners and
agents. $1,264, by the payment of $3.50;
st. Joseph's academy, $1,000. by the pay
ment of $499; F. Virginia Sherwood, S2,1OO,
by the payment of $745; Charles c. Sharp,
81 ,OS3, by the payment Of $780,
On the advice of the county attorney
r. l.. Ware was given a reduction of 1892
taxes paid in 1894, amounting to $1,27S.9S.
The reduction was made on the statement
filed by the applicant and certified to by
Assistant County Attorney Zollman as
being q true state of facts, that no official
paper was designated in which to publish
the delinquent tax lists, and the supreme
court had held in certain case that this
failure made the COllSCClOn lnVauQ. MT.
Ware will receive, according to his appli-
cation, his money back with interest at 10
per cent E. H. Milham, who was assess
ed $124S1 as personal property taxes for
the years 1895 to 1898, inclusive, handed In
an application and statement to the effect
that he was unfairly assessed and at the
time, had no personal property and was
not In business. He offered to settle the
judgments obtained against him for $50
and his proposition was accepted. The
board adjourned to Monday morning at 10
o'clock
State Auditor Dunn has received many
communications from county auditors in
curing as to the compensation they will
receive for clearing the records Of taxes
that became delinquent prior to 1897. The
last legislature passed law calling for
a. general tax sale Of such lands, and now
the county auditors, or some of them,
are In the dark as to what compensation
should be charged. They have asked the
state auditor to fix a reasonable rate for
the work. Mr.. Dunn replies, In a circu-
lar to county auditors, stating that IT
does not come within his powers to fix
a price, but county auditors should
charge for the services according to the
conditions existing in each county. In
some. cases. the circular says, Is cents for