The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1906-04-06
interests Of Property Owners Pro-
tected.

tected.
The last legislature amended the tax
law of 1908 by adding a section direct
ing county treasurers to notify so far as
possible owners of lands returned de
linquent for taxes at least 30 days be-
fore the annual tax sales in any year
The act is Act 284, found ON page 1873 of
the public acts of 1905. 1t provides for
supplemental notice to that afforded
by the publishing OF the delinquent list
In cast the notice is not sent or the
owner fails to receive the notice and the
lands go to sale and are finally decided
by the state, such deed is not invalidat
ed because of the failure to give or re-
ceive the notice provided for.
That this law will save thousands
of dollars to property owners and cut
off large portion of the business of
professional dealers in tax titles is
likely. In Saginaw county it has i'm
posed large amount of work on the
treasurer's. office. The provision that
the treasurer should notify owners, so
far as possible, made necessary the
sending out of 1921 notices as provided
by the law. The notices simply call at
tention to the date of the next sale of
lands delinquent for taxes and to the
paper in which the delinquent list has
been published.
The notices were mailed Thursday
morning at 10 o'clock and up to yes
terday afternoon at o'clock 10, OF
in every 100 of the parties to whom
notices were mailed, had appeared at
the county treasurer's Office for the pur-
pose of making settlement.
MANY LIKELY TO BE BENEFITED.
AS settlements can be made up to
the day of sale, that is any time dur
ing April, the sale this year coming
on the first of May, the fact that
per cent of those notified appeared yes
terday is very significant
The notices came as surprises to each
Of the 10, none of whom knew of the
taxes being delinquent. One man was
particularly grateful and said: This
notice has saved me at least $40, for l
knew nothing of any delinqent tax on
my property"
The enactment of this. law was prob
ably due primarily to the efforts of
Congressman Joseph w. Fordney. His
personal experience some three years
ago convinced him of the inadequacy
of the notice provided for by the old
law. He underworld to have bill
passed by the legislature of 1908, but
the lack of appreciation by the legisla
tors of the Importance of the matter
and the activity of the tax title sharks
resulted in its dying in committee.
LAST ATTEMPT NET SUCCESS.
Last year Congressman Fordney and
others who had become conyinced of
the wisdom of such law renewed
their efforts with the result that the
law referred to was enacted. The OBJ
lection most frequently urged to the
act while it was pending was that it
would frequently be impossible for a
county treasurer to ascertain without
great trouble the address of the owners
of delinquent descriptions.
Experience had proved that tax title
sharks were generally quite successful
in obtaining these addresses, and the
legislature acted wisely in making it
obligatory on county treasurers to make
the effort. OF course the hardslrips
which those who fail to pay their taxes
because of carelessness or ignorance
will not be entirely eliminated even
through the provisions of this law, but
the result yesterday in this county
would seem to justify the provision that
is made for giving delinquents one more
notice, before the title to their homes or
their farms or other real estate holdings
passes to the tax title dealer, who
seldom fails to claim his pound of
flesh" for a reconveyance. Saginaw
Courier Herald.