The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-01-17

In Some Cases Counties VIII BE Ont
of Pocket If Put Into Operation
Question as to whether Ramsey
County Would BE Benefited by
Having Its Taxes Wiped Off In
the Way Indicated.
The board Of county commissioners will
hold special meeting Saturday morning
to consider the law passed by the last leg
1slature providing for a clearance tax
sale. The question has been raised as
to the legality Of the law, and whether
the sale, If made, would be valid.
The law as passed provides that there
shall be sale of property on which the
taxes Of 1895 and prior years have be-
come delinquent. The theory Of the law
Is that the sale would clean up the delin-
quent taxes and enrich the counties, cit
les and the state to the amount which
would be received In the case of Ram
sey county there are 1900 pieces Of prop
erty on which the taxes for 1895 and prior
years have not been paid, and the face
value Of the taxes on these pieces Of prop
erty is about 100000 in round
figures. The terms of the sale under the
law are that the person who bids in the
property shall pay before the deed Is re-
corded giving title to the property not
only the amount which is bid at the sale,
but also the taxes of 1896, 1897, 1898 and
1899 in full The purchaser at the sale
must also redeem certificates Of sale
which have been ISSUED against the prop
erty in 1895 and prior and also subse-
quent years. There are those who claim
that while the legislature might not have
taken such a view Of the case into con-
sideration, the effect Of the law will not
only be to reimburse the counties, cities
and state to the amount which the sale
will bring, but 1T will also force the pur-'
chaser to make ID settlement with the
holders Of certificates Of sale which have
been sold against the property to date.
The question of just how much the sale
will bring to Ramsey county in the way
of delinquent taxes is something of
guess Property which Is to be sold can
be redeemed at any time prior to the sale
by the payment Of delinquent taxes and
10 per cent interest, In view, however,
of the advantages which can be had I'M
der the law at the time Of the sale when
the pieces Of property are knocked down
to the highest bidder there is little pos
sibility Of any one paying taxes in full
and 10 per cent interest rather than walt
for the sale. -,v
The sale In Ramsey county is almost
exclusively unimproved property and this
makes the amount to be received an I'M
known quantity. It is estimated by the
county auditor that II all the property IS
bid in about $780, 900 would be received
Much of the property being unimproveo
and real estate being Somewhat dull, II
is possible that the bidding will not be
very spirited and except for the eholce
pieces there may not be such a demand
as the county officials expect. Should
this be the case then the amount re-
allied will fall below the estimate now
made.
One of the points raised as to the le-
eality of sales under the law Is that re-
garding the sale of property on when
the taxes of 1895 have not been paid. Inc
law UP to the time the clearance sale act
was passed provides that person owning
property shall have three years after
Judgment for delinquent taxes is entered
TO redeem and then sixty days notice
from the holder Of certificates OF sale
after the three years. The taxes for le9S
were not due and payable until JAN !,
189s and did not become delinquent until
Ian /. 1897 The sale of delinquent taxes
for 1895 did not occur until May, 1891, ana
three wears from that would be May, l9oU
Then If the provisions OF the law Were
followed the owner has still sixty days
more In which to redeem from the holder
of tho certificate of SALE The clearance
fax sale law makes the date Of such sale
Nav /. 1860. and this 1t Is claimed, would
conflict with the general law regulating
the sale of property on winch taxes are
de,inouent in that the sale should not
be earlier than July l.
Another question raised Is that Ram
sew and otheryi large counties
containing cities have been carrying
the delinquent taxes on the books. Under
the clearance sale the property is to be
sold for what it win bring at bidders
sale and by this method there will be
shortage In the amount due the city.
Particularly Is this true in st. Paul
where the delinquent taxes include water
frontage taxes on many of the pieces OF
land.
The law also provides that personal
| notice is to be. served on the owner OF
each piece of property to be offered at
| the sale providing the property Is occu-
| MED and the sheriff Is to serve such
| notice and receive fees as In civil &C.
lions. AS there Is no way of ascertain
inc whether the property Is occupied ex>
| cent when the notice is served the sheriff
! In each county will, under the law, be
able to clean UP neat sum. The county
officials have figuredoit out that in this
| county Sheriff Wagner will realize about
| s25 COO from fees and mileage and already
stems have been taken to prevent the
| sheriff from realizing the fees to which
| he is entitled under the law. All the
facts in connection with the clearance
cole and the validity of the law govern
inc II will be discussed at the meeting
of the county commissioners Saturday.