The Washington times., 1902-04-09
Annual Sale of Property in
Arrears for Taxes In
augurated.
WILL CONTINUE FOR TEN DAYS
MI. E. G. Davis, in Opening the Sale,
Said District Was to Be Congratulated
in Having So Many Buyers Present
Five Lots Sold at $500 Each.

The annual sale of property in arrears
for taxes since November l of last year
began yesterday in the office OF the Col
lector of Taxes in the District Building.
Taxes due for the first half of the present
fiscal year or prior to that time have been
listed under the law and will be sold to the
highest bidder during the next ten days.
The sale is conducted by Mr.. Charles
w. Collins, Deputy Collector. who acts as
auctioneer. Among those present at the
opening of the sale were Mcssrs. {. H.
Wiltsie, of Rochester, y. Y; G. A. kap-
pell, of Chicago; William H. Manogue,
Malcolm Hufty ]. Thompson. Capt
6. C. Domer, James F. Hood, ]. B. Mich
OILS, and H. p. Slater.
Collector Davis Makes a Speech.
Mr.. E. G. Davis. Collector of Taxes, in
opening the sale, said the District was TO
be Congratulated in having so large
number of buyers present. He said the
object of the sale was to dispose of the
property and to give the municipality the
benefit of the proceeds. Mr.. Davis ex-
pressed the opinion that all the property
offered would find purchasers, and that
the District would be relieved from bid
ding in SO large an amount as in recent
years.
Mr. Davis then outlined the rules which
would govern the sale, emphasizing espe-
cially the regulation that each buyer
should at the close of the sale each day
deposit with the auctioneer an amount
equal to the aggregate OF his purchases.
He Suggested. that it was best. in order
to avoid daily deposits, that each one
should deposit lump sum equal to his
intended purchases during the entire sale
Objects to Farce Bidding. s.
Mr.. Davis called attention to what he
termed farce bidding" He said that in
former years it had been customary for
persons to- bid up some of the pieces OF
property to fabulous prices. For exam
pie, on one occasion an item of tax OF
$40. he said, was bid up to something like
$4,000. This, he said, tended to detract
from the dignity Of the place and the
occasion, and he requested that those
participating in the sale refrain from
such procedure this year.
The first piece of property offered was
bid in by Mr.. Wiltsie, but in spite of what
Mr.. Davis had said competition soon start
ed the bidding. Five lots in square 4, val
uahle pieces of property, were offered, on
which the overdue taxes, with penalties
nd:expenses. ranged from SIS to $50, and
Messrs. Wiltsie and Thompson, the latter
representing the investment company, be-
gan to bid against one another. Within
few minutes each lot was bid~lp to $3.50,
and they were announced as sold 10 Mr..
ThomI scn.
The latter was not so successful a little
while later when sublot II, square ~, with
accrued taxes and expenses Of s1342, was
offered. Bidding began moderately, but
soon the gentleman from the Empire State
and The one from the District of Colum-
bia were testing their nerve capacity by
calling off bids among the thousands of
dollars. The former stopped at S35. 600, and
the lot was knocked of to Mr.. Wiltsie.
Within five minutes another contest was
started over s7636 against part of lot 2.
square 43. When the excitement was over
the clerk recorded bid of s54 900, and the
lot went TO Mr.. Wiltsie.
Payment OF Surplus.
Under the law governing tax sales the
surplus bid over and above the tax and
expenses is not paid, unless after two
years the holder of the certificate wishes
TO avail himself OF the privilege OF taking
out a ta= deed. Then the surplus must
the owner of the lot as the purchase price
of the property.
Mr.. Davis yesterday in commenting up
on the bidding up of the taxes to such
fabulous sums said il was a question
whether these gentlemen were not laying
themselves liable to breach of contract.
Suppose" he said, "a suit should be filed
to compel the bidders to carry out their
bids at the end of two years and take
their deeds after paying the surplus bid,
how would the courts decide" Mr.. DAVIS
thought ii was poor rule which would
not work both ways. and he intimated that
some of these ready bidders might wake
UP some morning without cash to make
good their rash ventures.
In other words, the courts of the Dis
trict may be called upon TO decide whether
person bidding in a delinquent tax is
not required by law to make good at the
end of Two years TO pay up and take out
his tax deed.