The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1910-08-19

OoeASioi VI CHlcaSO quit claims
y L. F. Hatch lots 81, 3S in block 4!
n Crows addition, for 81. (Mr Grow
: ley's connection with Mr.. Hatch wi
be shown later.)
Ell On page 362, w. T. Jones, a bache
t lor of Chicago, quit claims to B. A
Robinson, for 81, lots 81, 80, 33 il
Y block 26, Crows addition, dated Jun
21, 1910. (Mr. Crowley's connection
r with Mr.. Robinson will be show
r later.)
AS we said above, these are onl,
/ samples of transactions recorded will
such frequency through the book tina
1t seems plain that Mr.. Crowley has
: been very busy in quieting claims Of
former owners who let their propert,
] go by defaulting the taxes. Securing
quitclaim deed does not mean that
ne acquires title, the title resting with
Bingham county as security or the
payment of taxes by somebody.A> If
the former owner should tender the
amount of the delinquent tax, togeth-
er with costs and penalties added, it
mas been customary for Bingham
county to permit the owner to clear
the title, but it is not the intent of
the law to extend such privilege to
others except at an auction sale held
after due notice has been given by
advertising the sale, and then the
county gives only such part of the
property for the payment of the de-
llnquent tax as the bidding may cover.
The first bidder on lot NAV offer
to pay the tax and take the lot. An
other may offer twice the amount of
theA taxes and because Of such possi-
Bile gains developed in the sale bv
competitive bidding, the county does
not sell at private sale, neither does
the law contemplates letting the asses-
sor and collector use the information
gained in the performance of his dut-
les, to advance his own chances for
speculation over those of other citi-
Zens.
Why then, does Mr.. Crowley buy
up these quitclaim deeds? Why does
Mr.. Hatch and Mr. Robinson? We
believe the answer appears in this:
On the first day of July, 1910, Mr..
Crowley made application to the
county clerk for tax title to about |
13O lots in Crows addition of Idaho
Falls, to several in Scott's addition
and three in Capitol Hill addition,
making 13S in all, the the same COW
ering about twenty sheets in the de-
scriptions, and checks drawn on D. |
W. Standrod & Co., by G. E. Crowley
in payment of the amounts due on
the several pieces Of property, ranging
from forty or fifty cents lot to sew
eral dollars per lot, averaging some
thing like two dollars per lot, while |
the average value of the lots may be
conservatively given at $50 each
Some of the checks referred % are
given for B. A. Robinson, others for
l.. F. Hatch, and the rest are mark
ed by Mr.. Crowley ''for SELF these
notations being made in the left hand
lower corner of the checks.
Referring again to Mr.. Crowleys
statement above, paragraph two,
"Since I have been assessor have
never bought tax title and am not
interested with anyone who has, we
ask what purpose he had in making
all these transactions unless he was
seeking to acquire title for himself
or somebody with whom he was con-
nected, notably, Robinson and Hatch
Referring again to paragraph four
of Mr.. Crowley's article, Il have new
er used my Office as a means of TAX
ing personal advantage of anyone
at any time" If people in distant cit
les are led to give quitclaim deeds
to lots in Idaho Falls. accepting twen-
ty cents apiece or a doll or two each,
and the lots can be redeemed for a
couple of dollars each If application
were made by the former owner, by
what line of influence or argument
did Mr.. Crowley induce them to quit
claim? Will Mr.. Crowley publish the
which passed between
our assessor and the people who made
these invstments in idaho Falls lots
some years ago, and sold to county
official in 1910? Did Mr. Crowley
use the information gained in his Of
flee work to take personal adyant-
age of anyone at any timer" +
For the information of readers we
will say that the application for deeds