The Savannah morning news., 1904-09-21
STRIP OF LAND
CAUSES TROUBLE
PAVING BILLS AMOUNT TO
MORE THAN LAND IS WORTH, AND
OWNERS ARE WORRIED.

Owners of Strip of Land 100 Feet
Long On West Broad Street, But
Only ) Feet Wide, Will Have to
Pay for Paving, Unless Council
Relieves Them-They Didn't Even
Know They Owned the Land,
When Bills Were Rendered.
Against property on West Broad
street, the city has assessed curbing
and paving bills that the owners did
not even know belonged to them, the
bills amounting to more than the land
is worth.
The soil in question fronts 100 feet
on the west side of West Broad street,
between Anderson and Thirty-first, and
has a depth of just three feet. When
the bills were first rendered, Mr.. Z.
c. Cubbedge. one of the three owners,
did not think he owned the property,
and a survey was necessary to deter
mine the question. The matter has
been up for some time now, and a
petition has been filed, asking Council
to relieve the owners. Mr.. Cubbedge,
4hdl II. OdoSllGlL dllQ Carrie NTs NdT-
son, from at least a part of the bill.
How 1t All Happened.
The city some time ago purchased
from the late Mr.. Kent a strip of land
through his property for the opening
of West Broad from Anderson to
Thirty-frst street.
On the east side of the street a strip
200 feet long with a depth of AZ feet
was left, while on the west side 100 feet
of the frontage has depth of SO feet,
and the other 100 feet, depth of only
about 8 feet. The strip feet wide is
obviously of no value except to the
owner of the adjoining property.
Though this narrow strip is of no
practical value to the owners, they
are legally liable for the curbing
and paving bills just the same as if the
lot ran through the block. The bill
for the curbing, amounting to $50 for
this particular strip, was rendered
some time ago and there is a paving
bill to follow soon.
Owners Ask Relief.
Mr.. Cubbedge, for himself and the
other two owners, took the matter up
with Alderman Dixon as acting May
or, while Mayor Myers was in New
York. At first Mr.. Cubbege did not
think that he owned the strip.
The owner of the adjoining lot has
the fence up to the street line. it is
alleged, and uses the 3-foot strip along
with the rest of the ground. Mr.. Cub
bege at first contended that the owner
of this adjoining property, who is in
possession of the strip should be
made to pay the bills.
He requested that a survey be made.
This was done and it was found that
the strip of three feet wide belonged
to the owners mentioned. Mr.. Cub
bege then wrote to Acting Mayor
Dixon, calling attention to the hard
ship of the assessments in view of the
small depth of the lot. The three other
lots are not very deep.
Now Up to Council.
Mr.. Cubbedge asks that the city give
the owners some relief Alderman Dix
on has turned the papers in the case,
including a map by the city engineer,
over to Clerk of Council Dreamer to
bring up at the next meeting of the
aldermen.
While it is admitted that it is mani
testify a hardship to make the owners
pay the bills assessed against the strip.
yet unless Council sees fit to relieve
them they will have to. If when the
city bought the land to open West
Broad the owners had made it take
all the land to the western line of the
property, the existing conditions would
have been avoided.