Omaha daily bee., 1902-04-17
CHARGE ILLEGAL PLATING
Council Directs City Attorney TO Bring Suit
Against A. P. Turkey,
QUESTION or BACK TAXES is INVOLVED
Real Estate Man says Action IL SUR
prise 60 Him and Denies hat He
Had Intention 60 Evade
the Law.

At a special meeting OF the city council
yesterday morning a resolution was adopted
directing the city attorney to proceed
against A. p. Turkey, a real estate agent,
for alleged violation OF the law providing
for the systematic plating OF new addi-
lions to the city. II is alleged that Mr..
Turkey has plated block 2, in Bemls Park
addition. has filed the plat In the once
Of the county recorder, and has placed
lots so plated on sale, without having
submitted the plat to the city engineer for
inspection and approval and without hav-
ing paid back taxes on the property.
such failure on the part OF Mr.. Turkey"
said a member of the council. constitutes
a cloud on the title OF every lot sold. The
fact that the back taxes were not paid
amounts to a blanket lien on every piece
Of property in the block, and one which
cannot be removed unless every individual
purchaser agrees to pay his proportion OF
the delinquency. II Just one purchaser de-
clines to pay his share, all the others are
helpless.
Il understand the back taxes on the
Bemis park property amount to sl,45S. But
this is not the only addition he has handled
In this way. | am informed that in North
Omaha he lie plating twenty acres, and that
the city engineer has not been called in ia
assist in laying out the streets and alleys
or to ascertain whether or not the taxes
have been paid. and the same is being done
in other parts OF the city"
The record shows that nearly a year age
City Engineer Rosewater wrote a letter to
Mr.. Turkey, calling his attention 20 a plat
irregularly filed and asked him to correct
the oversight" Mr.. Rosewater says tina
no attention was paid to this communica-
tion.
Mr.. Turkeys Explanation.
In explanation Of this Mr.. Turkey said: "l
called on MIR. Rosewater some time ago and
had a talk with him. and / supposed the
matter was settled. I'm surprised at Its
coming up at this time. AS to the Bemis
park tract, there are no streets running
through it, and go there was no occasion Il
submit the plat to the city engineer. There
is one alley in 1t, but / have a right to es.
tablish an alley in my property wherevei
l see At. l had no intention Of evading thu
law. As to the plat Of the North omahI
tract, It will be submitted to the city en-.
gineer In due time"
The principal purpose of assembling thu
council in special session yesterday wal
to pass an appropriation ordinance to pay
liabilities incurred by the city during April
"and prior thereto" The latter clause wal
inserted to cover the Gordon salary FOL
1900. The ordinance appropriated an ag'
gregate sum Of s25, 900. mostly from thu
special funds, such as the dog fund, thu
sewer fund. the road fund and the sinking
fund, from which latter money was draw
to pay the interest on warrants. To hnisl
the emergency hospital 32,040 was appro
p~riated, which will be paid to Kiewit Bros.
the contractors. The sum Of $447.32 wa
appropriated for George r. Crandall. con
tractor, being one-half the cost Of gradinI
Forty-second street from Farnam street Z
Dodge. Gordon's salary OF 81, 561 was in
cluded in the appropriations. There wa
some objection to paying this claim. br
the directors waived their p~ointNwhen {
was pointed out to them that there was al
order of court directing the payment.