The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1901-02-08
Mayor, Collector Davis and
Mr.. Connolly Confer
About Excessive
Search Charges.
ABUSE TO Be ABOLISHED
Case That Aroused Attention
Reviewed Future Searches
to Be Referred to City
Attorney.

Mayor Hoos called in this morning
Clerk James E. Connolly, of the TAX
Board, and with Collector Robert Davis
held a conference on the question OIL ex-
oessive search fees in the case of Martin
Act property.
The plan of certain people in league
with lawyers and vice versa is to hunt up
prices of property owned by the city un-
der the operation of the Act and then
search away ahead. Supposing the sale Is
fixed at one O'Clock and the property is
knocked down to bidder, half an hour
later the exorbitant search fees have peen
filed against the property and the puyer
taxed with the big fee.
Interest in the exposure of these out
RACES has not abated around the CITY
Hail, but has rather been added to, ana
the matter is now one of the chief topics
of discussion.
Mayor Hoos has decided to break up the
matter by referring all searches to CITY
Attorney Queen in the future, and the
Mayor has the cooperation of many VINO
see the injustice of the whole plan and
are ready to deal harshly with the men
who have been trading on the misfortunes
of others.
The search fee that aroused all the
adverse criticism was in connection with
the sale of the property known as lot AZ,
in city block 67, street number 50 Morris
street. The property, which was former
ly owned by the late Thomas Kelly, a
wealthy builder and contractor, whose
name was always the synonym for hon
esty. is situated on the northerly side of
Morris street, near Washington street.
fS eraPfn1
on the premises a fve-story brick fiat that
will accommodate ten families. BY a
strange coincidence, these heirs have all
died of consumption, and the property
was placed in the Martin act sale for the
taxes of 1898, which were unpaid.
Tne principal sum amounted to $3O9-6l
the interest $S5.1S, and the subsequent
taxes s71O14, while to these was added
tie item of expenses, which included the
search fee in question, of $107, making a
go;ai of sl,12L9S. This statement was filed
wisA the City Clerk, and the city then
ame the authorized collector of that
amount, including the search fee, which
nany persons say is excessive. interest
Iig developments may be expected, but it
safe to say that the day of the exces-
sive search fee is past
It was learned yesterday with no little
surprise that the purchaser of the prop
erty under the Martin Act was William
H. Vermilye, an ex-Alderman and at pres
sent clerk in the Board of Tax Commis-
sioners. An order was at once issued by
Chief Clerk James e. Connolly forbidding
any clerk in his department trading in
Martin Act cetificates, and he has also
stated that in his mind this action would
be cause for suspension. No action has
yet been taken in the matter.
Mayor Hoos said after this morning $
conference that ever since he has been in
office he has repeatedly cut down these
fees from $40 to SIS.
''It seems, however, added His Honor,
that the remedy is a matter for the Leg
islature because, as 1 understand it, the
law allows the lawyers to charge these
fees
Collector Robert Davis is and has always
been opposed TO these big fees, and the
system employed in securing them. He
denounces it as a blot on the administra-
tion of the city government, and so far as
it lies in his power he will stamp it out.
when l came Into office, said Mr.
Davis, 81 felt that it was an outrage and
/ am bitterly opposed to it. Why thesG
fellows search up and saddle the fees or
the buyers who are helpless, and in some
cases. the property slips into the fingers
Of these sharks. 1t won't continue in this
city If 1 can stop it. 1t is a fraud or
people, and invariably it hits the hard
working man or woman who saves up g
little sum to buy home"
Mr.. James E. Connolly, after the con
ss,lltatiou with the Mavor vehemerflv de.
nounced the excessive search fee, and ht
will aid in the uprooting Of a system
fraudulent from top to bottom