The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1902-01-13

Through the administration Of the As
SCISSORS once. those who purchase
back taxes and harass the owners
Of ,-, perry Tor the payment Of tax,
interest. and penalty are having a less
easy road TO travel than formerly.
Under the law providing for the sale OF
taxes in arrears the Assessor is required
each year to make up a list Of taxes in
arrears 90 advertise the same and TO sell
at public auction the sevc raj items of tax
to the highest bidder. The law also re-
Quires that the person 81 buying the back
tax must pay to the District the amount
due on the account, and from the date of
the sale the amount Of tax. penalty and
advertisement draws Is per cent interest
which must be paid by the purchaser Of
the tax
Bidders I'm Trust.
The selling to the highest bidder is a
kind OF fiction that in general has no
realty in the transaction. At the tax sale
usually there is no bidding. the bidders
agreeing among themselves to take the
several pieces OF property t-ey want at
the amount Of tax and excuses. When.
. however, there is bidding. the sum bid
over and above the amount Of the tax and
expenses is not paid by the bidder until
the expiration Of two years. when he
takes out a tax deed for the property. and
the surplus CT the amount bid over the
tax and expenses is considered by law as
the price Ct the property, and is deposited
with tue United States Treasury to the or
der OF the owner OF the land against which
the delinquent tax was sold
In the carrying out Of these provisions
Of the Law a great abuse has grown up M
the District The men who buy the taxes
are allowed by law i per cent interest
They are given q tax sale CertifC-te
which is a lien upon the property The
owner is given two years IN which TO re-
deem lis property. but at the end Of that
time the Commissioners are required by
the law to give a tax deed 10 the pur-
chaser Of the tax 50 that the purchaser
OF q tax OF, say. $50 is given a lot worth
$500 after a period of two yers.
Opportunities for Extortion.
Making use OF the tax certificate and
TIE tax deed. a system Of extortion has
arisen in which many poor and Ignorant
property holders in the District have
been defraudeu and made 20 pay large
sums for the redemption Of their lots
from the tax sharks"
One instance may be given where a col
Ored Gasa had by long saving bought a lot
and had small sum laid up 20 build a
house. By some misunderstanding In the
original purchase Of the land there was
one installment Of tax unpaid, the col
ored man not knowing the fact The lot
was advertised for sale and sold FOR the
tax and expenses amounting TO 1854 The
purchaser of the tax kept quiet until a
few weeks before the tine for the tax
deed 10 be issued, when he entered into
correspondence With the colcEed man. and
by threats OF Selling the prOpertg induced
him TO pay S75 for the redemption Of the
lot when the release ought to have been
given for less than SIS.
There are multtudes OF such cases, and
before the installation Of the card syg-
tenn Of tax accounts was introduced last
year, and notices sent to persons with
arrears OF taxes, this mode of exto-tiOn
was very profitable to a number OF per-
sons who engaged in the purchase Of de-
linquent taxes in Washington.
Protest Against Methods.
The iniquity OF the system was brought
out two or three days ago when the
Commissioner received a letter from Mr..
Charles H. Wiltsie, of Rochester. y =.
IN which he protested against the prsc-
tice Of the Assessor in sending the no
tees re-crred to. He maintained that
after the purchase OF the tax by pri-
yate party the matter passed from the
jurisdiction Of the District, ard that the
purchaser Of the tax should be ,aft to deal
with the owner Of the property as he saw
fit
Mr. Wiltsie complained that the sending
Of notices alarmed the owners and led
10 the redemption OF the tax sale long
before the two years was up.
Mr. DarneiIIe's Reply.
Mr. II. H. Darneille. the Assessor. has
replied to the letter OF Mr. Wiltsle TO
the effect that the District is the agent
OF both the owner and the purchaser Of
the tax, and that Il Is TO the best inter
ests OF the District at least that the
property shouId be redeemed at the low
est cost 10 the holder.
Mr.. Darncille states that the sending
OF such notices has been found the means
o. correcting many err rs in the accounts
OF his Office and Of protection TO the prop-
eTty holders OF the District. Mr. Oar
nellie @n7o"nces that he viii continue 10
send the notices every year.
TAX ON MONOPOLIES.