Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-10-17
GAINS $30,0OO,0OO
Increase in Value of District
Real Estate.
REPORT ON ASSESSMENT
Assessor Richards Wants Law Re-
garding Appeals Changed.
RECOMMENDATION ON SUBJECT
Thinks Pleas of Property Owners
Should All Be in by First
Monday in April.
REPORT ON ASSESSMENT
RECOMMENDATION ON SUBJECT

thirty Hl1iIOn dollars is the estimated
increase in the value of the real estate
and improvements in the District of CO.
lumbia. as shown by the triennfal as
sessment for 1912-1914 now in progress
The assessment, which is progressing
now under strict observance of the
66 % per cent law, is the leading feature
of the report to the Commissioners of
Assessor William p. Richards.
The total assessed valuation of land in
the District for the fiscal year ending
June 30, 1910, is given as S2S5, 1871. OF
this $151. III. 1865 is land. the rest build
ings. The tax on the real estate for that
year is $4.277. 3O657. The personal tax
was 81 .OO7, 02241.
Much attention is paid by Mr.. Rich
ards to the matter Of the appeal of the
property owners from the assessments.
When the board of assistant assessors
places a valuation ON bit of property
the owner. If he believes he is getting the
disagreeable end of a bargain, can ap-
peal. The report gives full directions:
Property owners can appeal from the
return OF the assessors from the first
Monday In January to the first Monday
In June. 1911. The Office has made every
effort to acquaine the public with this
provision Of the law, and during the COL
lection of taxes in May had attached to
the various bills a notice calling atten-
ton to the fact that an appeal from the
assessment could be made
For Change in Law.
However, Assessor Richards wants the
law concerning appeals changed, because
he says, under the present conditions. the
appeals pile up in such quantity toward
the end of the open season. for ap-
peals that the board cannot give them
proper attention. The assessor urges that
the law be amended so that while the
time for equalization and review shall re-
main unchanged, all appeals from the
assessment decisions shall be made on or
before the first Monday in April.
The report states that although in
equalities may appear in the forthcoming
triennial assessment, special efforts have
been made to equalize land values. 1t
says:
I'm every assessment where the law
requires the assessors to equalize the as
sessments. many seeming inequalities ex-
list. but upon investigation many of these
inequalities disappear. or are not we'll
founded. These arise in the adjustment
Of differences in known values; others
arise in the rapid change of values in
some sections. the assessments being
made for term of three years and may
be just at the time the assessment is
made, but by the end Of the term, by rea-
son OF change in value, 1t would seem to
be unequal and unfair. And in subdi-
visions just put upon the market at a
given or selling price per foot per lot,
while the owners would be willing to sell
the entire remaining subdivision at a
much lower rate per foot, in such cases
there would seem to be an differentiation
when compared with the selling value Of
single lots.
ITO illustrate: "A purchases forty
acres Of land and subdivides it into. say.
1000 lots: he sells off, say, fifty lots, at
the rate of 30 cents per foot. but would
be willing to sell the remainder of the
subdivision. in one transaction, at Is or
20 cents per. foot. The board, knowing
these facts. could not justly assess the
entire tract at the rate of a single lot.
nor a single lot at the value Of the entire
tract, so an adjustment Of values under
the provision of law requiring equaliza-
ton would be the result. The foregoing
applies to land values particularly.