Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-11-01
CITY VALUATIONS.
Cross Examination Of Mr..
Downing Continues.
NJ 5. HoIway, Esq.,, Follows on
Stand With His Testimony.
His Estimates for Water Street Al.
most $4,000 Higher.

''iOii VI lilc T.uNi SOIllpdlty tdS
abatement hearing was devoted to the
cross examination of Charles S. Down.
ing, the first expert on valuations that
has been offered by the Edwards Co.
to show a general differentiation of
property about the city. The cross
examination was conducted by City
Solicitor Dutton.
Attorney Heath at the beginning ask
ed the witness to make and explain
his valuation of the Purinton Bros.
property on Water street, which was
passed over Tuesday on account of a
misunderstanding as to just what COM
priSed the property. The witness said
that upon investigation he had found
that the lot was 200 feet wharfage, 400
feet on the river bank and SO feet on
Water street. The brick building was
valued at $4,000; the wood shed and
other Outbuildings at $500 and the land
at $4,000, making a total of $29 800. This
is for the year of 1906. but as the wood
shed had been built since 1906 and it
was worth $500, the 1905 valuation
would be $4,000.
Mr.. Downing was asked number Of
preliminary questions by Attorney Dut-
ton as to his term of residence in this
city, the length of time that he had
been in business, etc. He was then
asked to give the population of the
city. He put it at 1900. Asked what
the population of Ward was, not
reckoning the country districts. he esti-
mated it to be $500 people In Wards
l. > and 8 he thought that there We're
NJ 4 . ,,t
he was asked to make the estimates
about 10 days ago. but had not worked
upon them all of the time since then.
He had worked all of one half the time
He was given list for the purpose by
Mr.. Andrews. who explained them. He
said that it was list of property with
the assessed valuations
Mr.. Downing said that he then began
to make inquiries concerning property
with which he was not especially
familiar. In answer to Il question as
to what his experience had been in
valUing Augusta real estate, he said
that he had passed in his regular re-
ports to the insurance companies and
that one of the first questions was as to
the value of the property.
He was asked if he had ever bought
or sold any real estate in Augusta and
answered that he had. was selling some
now, but his son had attended to that
during the past four years Their firm
often had property to transfer.
The witness stated that he had had
quite an experience as an adjuStcr of
fire losses, some of it in Augusta and
some in other parts of the State. He
testified before the State insurance au-
thorities two years ago that the year
before he had acted as an adjuster in
128 different cases. He was questioned
very closely in regard to the number
of adjustments of real estate losses
that he had been called upon to make
in Augusta during the past 10 years.
Two were mentioned, both on Water
street.
The question was asked by Attorney
Dutton: where there is a dispute and
adjustcrs are called in. what is the
value finally settled on, is it generally
high or low"
He replied that the insurance COM
panies always paid pretty high. 1t is
sometimes replacement value.
After Mr.. Downing examined the lists
he visited some OF tn" property, but
didn't go into any of the houses. just
looked the property over from the out
side. On State street, began ut the
school house and went south. No one
was with him. When pieces of proper
ty were in doubt. the witness went back
to them a second time. He didn't use
lust the same method that he would in
adjusting a fire loss, but used his judg-
ment. He considered the size of the
lot. the building and whether or not
the building was private residence
or a tenement house. If it was Il tene-
ment house. it was not worth as much
in his estimation as it was when occu-
pied by the owner. In the case OF the
Buckley house near the school house on
State street, that was deprecated
somewhat because of its close proXi-
mity to the school. He considered the
value of land irrespective of the build
ings that might be upon it. The wit
ness gave as an example the Springer
property opposite the Stinson house on
Sewall street. In that case the build
ing was not considered worth a great
deal. 1t was an extreme case.
The Potter and Scruton houses were
mentioned and the witness was asked
whether he compared them in any way
when arriving OF his estimates. He re-
piled that he had not, but took each
case up by itself.
The Granite National Bank building
was the next property to receive atten-
ton. The witness estimated that $12,
500 had beep laid ont in repairs on the
building during the past year. He
placed the value today at $4,000. In
his opinion only Sc per cent. of the
money expended in improvements is
actually put into the buildings. The
other SO per cent. is loss from tearing
out that which is of some value and
getting ready to repair. Then followed
| a long series of questions in RI gard to
the witness estimates of land values,
or value per front foot of the land along
Water street.
The same line of inquiry was taken ur
in the afternoon. also. The witness
stated that he considered the front foot
value of the site of the Riverside block
to be $50 and this valuation he would
| continue on that side of the street UNI
| til he reached the Darby block. This
| he placed at $50 on account OF the
building. the proximity to the corner