New-York tribune., 1902-08-25
SAVING APPRAISAL FEES
MR. RIVES PARES CONDEMNATION
COMMISSIONERS FEES
INSTANCES WHICH SHOW THE EFFORT TO
MULCT THE CITY ON STREET
OPENING WORK

OPENING WORK
Corporation Counsel Rives-s opposition +o +he
payment Of excessive fees to the commissioners
Of condemnation and appraisal in street opening
since the first Of the year has saved to the
city and the property owners So ,204 When Mr.
F2ives assumed office he made up his mind that
one Of the best reforms he could bring about
vas to get proceedings of this character on some
thing like business basis The extraordinary
expense incurred by commissions heretofore has
been unsatisfactory TO the property owners the
city and the lawyers engaged on both sides. The
law requires commissioners finish the apprais-
ST and condemnation of a piece of property
within six months, unless the courts grant an
extension Of time Heretofore, such extensions
have been granted as matter of course. 1t
has been the custom to approve and pay the
bills Of the commissioners without question. Mr.
Rivess policy has been TO oppose all extensions
of time that seemed to him unnecessary and to
pay TO the commissioners only what seemed
Just and fair. Several commissions have ex-
tended their work a period of four and
have been altogether out of proportion with the
value of the property appraised.
Since the first Of the year Mr.. Rives has prac-
tically finished 16l cases, with awards aggre-
eating ts1050o 600. A few have not as yet been
confirmed by the courts. In the four years from
1898 TO 1901 only 179 reports were actually fin
ished, so that MIR. Rives will probably dispose of
more cases this year than were passed upon by
the last Democratic administration. Owing to
adverse circumstances, only seven cases were
confirmed in Brooklyn in the last four years.
while in the last six months eight cases have
been confirmed and twenty others practically
completed and ready for confirmation. 1t is
pected that the Brooklyn office will dispose Of
forty cases this year.
One cause of delay in previous years was that
commissioners received SO much a day and il
was 10 their advantage TO hold as many meet
ings as possible. They were allowed to charge
about as they pleased Mr.. Rives has been on the
alert 10 see that commissioners do not charge
more than the law allows. The law has been
amended this year requiring that the commits
sioners' bills shall be accompanied by certif-
cation Of the Corpora ton Counsel that he has
examined and audited the bills. Thus far Mr.
Rives has had occasion TO dispute ffty-eight
bills out Of a total of about hundred that
he has examined Some OF the typical cases
as follows:
= public place IN Morris-ave., between One
hundred-and-f -forty-third and One-hundred-and
forty-fourth sts-, consisting Of one and half
city lots belonging TO one owner and vacant.
All the commissioners had to do was TO deter
mine what the property was worth and appor-
ton the expenses among the adjoining property
owners. They sat for fifteen days, on five Of
which they adjourned without accomplishing
anything. They then held ten executive ses-
sicns then five more meetings to consider the
plan of assessment, eight meetings to hear OBJ
iecrions. two of which were adjourned, and
seven executive sessions to consider the objec-
tons. The value OF the land was S11. .625. Two
Of the commissioners put in a claim for fifty
eight meetings, and one for ffty-seven meet
5r7oS he q
a meeting. On request OF Mr.. Rives, Justice
Greenbaum cut the commissioners bills down
S150 each-ffteen meetings from each bill.
The public place at Buckhout-st- and Mott
ave. is barely the size Of city lot The COM
rrissioners held sixteen meetings to approve
The value and title. OF which Seven were ad-
sourned; four executive sessions to consider
awards, five to consider assessments, seven for
hearing objections and three consider OBJ
jections. The entire bill for commissioners and
stenographers' fees amounted to s., ,S25. JUS
tice O'Gorman cut them down twelve meetings
each.
The public place in Elton-ave.. the only con-
troversy over which was the fixing Of the value
of a factory for making dental goods which oc-
oupied a portion Of the site, the rest being va
cant. There question as to the value Of
the land The commissioners said they met
sepenty-nine times to make up their minds as
10 what they would allow. Mr.. Rives said the
bin was extravagant and that ii was perfectly
apparent that so many meetings could not have
been held Justice Gildersleeve cut each bill
down TO the extent Of $50 taking off twenty
five meetings.
The commissioners engaged to appraise Sta
ton Place near Williamsbridge started in Oc-
tober 1897 and have been at work four and
half years There were twenty-one parcels OF
land on which five improvements, some
being only fences Six streets that had
been laid out, but not regularly acquired by the
city SO that there only about fifteen par
cells worth $4,000 to require the attention of
the commissioners. They held thrty-nine ses-
sfors. of which thirteen were adjournments-
They evidently adjourned every time it was
suggested to them. Only $50 pages Of testi-
Ynonv as to the value of the land was taken.
The commissioners claimed forty executive seS-
s;ons six meetings to consider the assessment.
ore Claimed JOS meetings a second 101. and the
third ninety-one Justice Greenbaum cut down
.neir fees altogether S754. or about $3.50 each.
The commissioners who were appointed Tor
the Mantda-st opening put in bills for nine eH-
ecutive sessions and eighteen meetings 10 as
pose of purely formal objections They we're
cut down 70 ten meetings
In 1897 the commission for the last one-hul-
dred- and seventy -second-st opening took seven
psrcels Of vacant land All the property owners
n as easily handled single parcel Nine
teen meetings were held, ten being aoJoulh..
Inents. and Mr.. Rives objected on the grouIle ha
.bat II the attorney wanted an adjournment ne
should have presented legal excuse, or should
-av fhe commissioners fees for every ADJOURN
mem Recently Of the commissioners nave
er+ed ,,,on This suggestion. and adjournments
srs ~, e freoueu1 If il costs lawyer $40 for
an adjournment. he is not hkeiy 10 ask ror one
too. often. <--, 49,. ...ra.+ o,en-
inc amounted to 81 800 for each commissioner
The first bill called for thlrty-seEen IneeIiigs nI
-t-i+b t1Tentv sessions TO consider objections MT
r7i,-ar seid that re objections were all formal