Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-02-08
LAW SHOULD BE AMENDED
Committees Recommendation Concerning
Law Relating to Tax Sales.
Part of Section 4, Act of 1898, to BE
Stricken Out-Rea-
sonsaAssigned.

Mr.. E. G. Davis, the collector OF taxes;
Mr.. H. H. Darneilie, the District assessor,
and Mr.. j. T. Petty. the auditor of the Dis
trict, committee appointed by the Com
missioners recently to revise the assess
ment and license laws of the District, have
reported to the Commissioners that they
believe 1t of vital Importance that the act
of February d, 1898, in relation to taxes
and tax sales here, be amended at the
earliest possible date, In view of the ap-
preaching tax sale. They have, therefore,
recommended that all of section 4 of the
act of 1898, after the word sale in line 8,
be stricken out.
The section In question provides THAT
the owner or authorized agent of any prop
erty sold as aforesaid lat an annual tax
sale. or any other person having an inter-
est therein at the time of sale, may redeem
the same from such sale at any time with
in two years after the last day of sale by
paying to the collector of taxes, for the
Use of the purchaser, his heirs and as
signs the sum mentioned in the certificate
of sale therefor, with interest thereon at
the date of such certificate of SALE together
with any tax or assessment which the
holder of said certificate shall have paid
between the days of sale and redemption.
with interest on the same at the rate of 10
per centum per annum.'
The words which the committee proposes
shall be stricken from the act of 1898 are
as follows: Together with any tax or
assessment which the holder of said GER
tfhcate shall have paid between the days
of sale and redemption, with interest on
the same at the rate of 10 per centum per
annum''
explains, contained in any previous law of
the District, the clause having been insert
ed at the request of the collector of taxes
as ne then believed 1t was good provision
hoe %l>N
shown that men pay these taxes as an in
Vestment, lnaSmuch as they bear 10 per
cent interest; that practically the amount
realized is very insignificant, and that sew
e era parties have paid in on about 200 bills
for one years taxes, the gross amount of
which payment has been less than $500.
Objections Stated.
The great objection to the law, the col
lector thinks, is the difficulty of enforcing
it. He states that this clause is wholly in
the interest Of the tax purchaser, and not
of the District; that the difficulty of ascer-
taining what payments have been made is
so great in comparison with tho value of
the clause to the District that he regards
1T as important that the provision should
be repealed. He further states that he has
sought to have thorough search made of
all payments made by purchasers at tax
sales. and that sometimes the certificates
are signed and the tax paid by the as
signee, and that it has been found to be
practically impossible for the assessors
office to furnish the information unless
three or four clerks were assigned to the
duty.
The amount Of labor involved, the COM
mittee states, may be readily appreciated
by the fact that the total sales last year
amounted to about 5000 pieces Of separate
property. The work Of examining the rec
ords as to each separate piece, in order to
ascertain whether taxes had been paid,
would be simply enormous.
The Commissioners have approved the
recommendation Of the committee, and
draft of the proposed amendment will be
transmitted to the chairman of each Dis
trict committee in Congress, with the re-
quest that it be enacted into law.