The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-06-02
JUDGES Tx PRICES FOR LAND.
ELLISON REPLIES TO METZ. DE-
TENDING REAL ESTATEEXPERTS.


me Richest Landhaiders, Says Assistant
Corporation Counsel SteFline' Are the
WORT When II COmeS 10 Tr3taB 70 Slick
the CITY with High Prices for Land
S4rnoration Counsel EtiIAon and the
assistants under him who have charge OF
the proceedings brought for the condemna-
tl6n Of property to be taken over for pablo
fuhorov0rnents are not inclined 10 Ngrto
with GL.aptroller Metz that the city 10 being
bad by the real estate experts who are
called 10 Rive evidence for the city Ia con
destination proceedings. Although the fees
ofkix Of these experts In three years amount
to over 3IS7,O0O, II Ii oontended by Mr..
Ellison and his assistants that the testimony
given by these experts has resulted In
awards Of far less compensation to property
owners than was demanded by them.
Mr.. Ellison also said that II there Was
any criticism to be made against the pres
emit system Of condemnation the complaint
should be made against the Supreme Court,
for the reason that the determination OF
prices to be paid for properties taken by
the city rested entirely with the court.
He said;
IuAt AZ soon as / came into the department
took up the matter Of condemnation pro-
ceedinRs and have made some very radical
changes. In the first instance no expert
witness is now employed by any one other
than myself and his services are now directly
under my own supervision. In addition to
this, and as a check upon the experts on both
sIdee, I have a confidential appraiser who
inspects ell properties and CLEANS from the
nAiehborhood any aud ell information that
he can get relative to values and other mat
ters that may be of interest to me In my Efforts
10 keep down the prices Of properties under
condemnation.
OF course, as is VOL known, dxinG the
price to be paid by the city rests entirely
with the commissioned and they are APP
pointed by the Supreme Court. It 10 before
them that the property owner presents hiS
evidence OF values and the city presents lite
evidence Of the same. The commissioners
then decide and the amount 80 Axed by them
il made the subject Of an award that the city
10 compelled TO pay before 1t can acquire
the property. This fact aoeentuAtes the
absolute ~necessit y that rests upon the court
TO appoint honest and etlcient commissioners.
SO far az the city is concerned. all that It
can DO is through the Corporation Counsel
to offer such proof as 1t may be abba to obtain.
The obtaining OF this proof 10 fraueht with
O great deal Of difficulty because real estate
agents in localities where properties are
being taken are in the first instance unwil.
ing to appear against their neiRhbore and,
secondly. they are interested in initiating
values rather than depressing them. This
oittimes, ! am afraid, oonpeIs US to pay
higher prices than otherwise might be neces-
safy. Still, I repeat that since the first OF
the year the question Of experts fees In this
once is not subject TO criticism.
What my predecessors In office did I do
not know. but In all fairness to them 1t should
be said that all OF the fees paid to expert
--4tnx-soh aNprnS,AA hy ennna GunrAmA
Court Justice before they were paid. These
fees have had to be taxed the same as any
other expense incidental 10 the proceeding
and finally fixed and allowed by the Court.
lido not believeit will be claimed that justices
OF the Supreme Court have wantonly wasted
the eity's moneys or sacrificed Its interests.
Assistant Corporation Counsel George L.
Sterling, Charles D. olendorf and John P.
Dunn, whoee duties are mainly to guard
the city's interests in condemnation p1o-
oeedinrs, all defended yesterday the en-
ployment by the city Of experts on real
estate values. even though large fees had
TO be paid for the services OF men who
we're recognised as authorities upon prop
erty values. Mr.. olendorf mentioned that
when the city condemned the Hudson
River waterfront between Fifteenth and
Eighteenth streets for dock improvements
the owners lnGlbb9Q tudt lb Ndtuo Ioe
s $3.50. 900, but after the city's experts had
tebtihsd the supreme Court made an award
Mr.. olendorf pointed TO many. other: cases
where the city had benefited and they
TO protect itself in this way because property
holders seemed TO have the idea that there
wa no dishonesty in trying to compel the
CITY to pay ~exorbitant prices for land.
Mr., Sterling mentioned the names OF the
legal representatives Of three Of the largest
real estate wne Of the city who always
sxacted exorbitant prices from the mu-
Gioipality, and added:
Il have found that the richer the land
owners and the more reputable their w.
yers the greater is the attack made on
the city's treasury. and / have found also
that in the past theee people have been
values which they had themselves fixed.
Mr.. Metz is not beneating the city by the
crusade Of his. He 10 not only making 1t
impossible for the city to retain property
experts, IL they ar. 70 be subjected 70
criticism, but he Is doing harm by imply
ing that the Justices OF the supreme Court
have not taken proper care In The appoint
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