The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1903-02-13
AN EYE FOR MICHIGAN TAX PAY
ERs' INTERESTS.

Congressman Fordney Makes a Sus
sestion for Legislation Whio
Would Save Many a Small Home
Congressman Fordney has shown tina
he not only attends to his business a
Washington but finds time even durin,
session of congress to take more thar
an ordinarily active interest in the doing
of the legislature at home in Michigan
The frequent loss to which property
owners have been subjected becaus,
titles to their property had been snapped
mp by tax title buyers has long i'm
pressed Mr. Fordney as it has doubtless
impressed many other people.
So far as the present law is concerned
its intent is all right but in practice il
is sadly deficient. The law requires
that every piece of land which is to be
sold by the state for delinquent taxes
shall be advertised for five weeks in one
of the county papers in the county in
does not give the publicity or the in
formation which it is supposed to give.
The pieces of property to be sold are
advertised by their legal descriptions
alone and the owners name is nowhere
mentioned This method of procedure
may hold the property hard and fast
enough after it has been sold but who
is there who reads this article who
knows the description of his own home
lot or the other pieces of property he
may be fortunate enough to own? 1t
is safe to say that of the people who
even see the ADVERTISED list of property
to be sold for taxes not five per cent
could tell without looking up their
deeds whether their own property were
included in the sale or not.
The amendment to the present law
proposed by Mr.. Fordney would do away
with any such liability almost entirely
The plan is however so well set out in
Mr.. Fordney's own communication to
the House of Representatives of the
Michigan legislature that further com
ment at this time is unnecessary. The
Communication explains itself and is as
follows.
To the Honorable, The House of Repre-
sentatives, State of Michigan, Ian
sing, Michigan.
Gentlemen:-I desire to submit for
your consideration, through the proper
committee, crude outline of an amend
ment which in my humble opinion
should be tackled on the existing tax law.
At least twenty days, and not more
than thirty days, before the day set for
the commencement of the states an
nual tax sale, the owner, or owners, of
each piece or parcel Of property, whose
taxes are then delinquent and subject
to sale at the next ensuing annual tax
sale, shall be served with printed
notice to that effect, giving date and
place of such sale, together with de-
scription of property and amount OF
IdAs OAHU hobiCC Shdit
clude full statement of all the pro-
visions of the existing law relating to
state tax sales, with the penalties fully
explained, and shall be sent by regis
tered mail to the last known address
of the owner or owners, by the county
treasurer of the county in which the
delinquent property is located, and the
cost thereof, not to exceed the sum of
twenty five cents, for each parcel Of
land subject to sale, shall be added to
the tax and be a lien against the prop
erty.
In my humble judgment such pro-
vision would be the means Of saving
many dollars and not few homes to
the people of our state, who through
temporary misfortune, ignorance of the
law, inability, or even carelessness,
have allowed their taxes to become de-
linquent, and are at present forced to
either pay 100 per cent premium and
costs, or sacrifice their homes.
Respectfully submitted,
JOSEPH w. FoRDNEY.
Il. - l.