The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1902-12-05
KICKING AT
ASSESSMENTS
Sixty four More Taxpayers
Appeal From the Board
Of Piddlers' Valua-
ton.
THREE WISE MEN
Commissioners Are Not Real
Estate Experts. But They
Can Make a Good
THREE WISE MEN

Mayor Fagan's Commissioners of APP
peal in the cases of Taxation, consisting
of John HI. Weastell, milk man; James
Connolly, His Honor's cousin and former
saloonkeeper, and Andrew Knox, who is
engaged in the tea and coffee business,
had their second session of the fiscal year
at the City Hall yesterday afternoon, for
the purpose of receiving and considering
appeals from taxpayers, who believe that
the Board Of Fiddlers placed an unfair
assessment on their respective properties
in the recent jacking up seance.
Sixty-four appeals were handed in be-
tween the hours of two and FIVE o'clock,
or two more than were filed at the first
meeting, making total of 1875 so far
This is considered rather tough start
by friends of the administration, who had
hoped that the taxpayers wouldn't object
to being overtaxed by Republican Tax
Board.
The three Commissioners, who won't
deny that they have no particular reason
| to consider themselves experts on real
estate values, are not expected to upset
the Board of Fiddlers figures. Rumer
says that the powers that be have duly
notified them that they must not disturb
the assessments to any great extent.
One of the amusing features of the
experts investigations of the appeals
in their personal inspection of the prop
erty on which reductions have been
asked.
Many people say they fail to see any
good reason why the Commissioners
should spend the city's money in carfare
on these trips when they don't know
anything about real estate values, and
are in position where they cannot make
any radical reductions in the assess
ments.
The secret of their activity, it is said,
is simply an honest desire to do some
thing to earn their 81 900 per.
DECIDE TO ADMIT THE PUBLIC.
The Board has decided that the public
is entitled to know everything that is 60
ing on in the matter of appeals. One or
more of the members thought at first that
it would be good idea to keep the names
| of those who appealed from getting into
the newspapers, but they finally changed
their minds.
| The Commissioners will have a meet
| ing this afternoon when it is expected
refused, and a few reductions will be
that large number of appeals will be
| allowed.
4 No appeals were received from corpor-
ations yesterday. The majority of the
kicks came from small property owners.
f. Ida Dunn was willing to sell for ST.
600 property on Commercial street as
sesser at 81, 800. A request for reduc-
ton Of $Io0 was made.
| Jeremiah Crowley said that he could
not get sufficient rent to pay for the
taxes demanded on an assessment of 81
600 levied against Nos. 55S-560 Garfield
street. The taxes amount to 5000.
William Robertson, who was assessed
81, 600 on No. 174 Fifth street, asked for
reduction of $500. He said that the
rent returns do not pay on the invest
ment.
| james Iooney was assessed $4,000 on
No. 162 Third street. He said that he paid
1 SI, ,JoU TOT the property. IAe Lax DodIu
claims to fix valuations on d 20 per cent.
basis. Looney said he thought $1,000
would be a fair assessment.
The estate of Fred Anness was assess
ed $4,000 on property at No. 92 Mont
gomery street A request was made that
the assessment be reduced to $4,000.
The property is in the market and can be
purchased for $4,000, the price fixed
by the owners. The best offer received
thus far is $4,000.
/ Martin Schukraft owns house at
No. 60 Wright avenue, on which a valua-
tion of 1000 was placed. He asked
that reduction of $400 be granted for
the reason that it only cost him $500. to
put up thefbuilding. He declared that the
house and building were worth 5000.
Frank E. Wnzander, assessed So, 400
on No. 1870 Clifton place, petitioned for a
decrease of $500 in his assessment He
said he built the house himself by days
work and valued the property at 81 900.
SAYS II is OUTRAGEOUS.
Mary Thinner considered a total as