Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-12-12
Commissioners FavorAdoption
of New Methods.
BILL SENT TO CONGRESS
Would Prevent Selling Property Far
Below It's Value.
MATTER OF TITLE TAKEN UP
BY Plan Recommended, Public Auc-
ton Would Be Directed by the
Equity Court.

4 new method OF collecting arrears
by tax sales is recommended to Con-
gress by the Commissioners in the
draft of bill sent to the Capitol today
If the bill is passed there will be no
more property sold for taxes at a trifling
sum- a mere fraction Of its market worth.
Also the bill provides a method OF sale
by order Of the Equity Court whereby a
piece of property sold at tax sale will
have decided title. instead Of a tax sale
transaction being merely a cloud on the
title. At present 1t very frequently &C.
ours that valuable property Is thrown into
tax sale because the owner knows moth
ing of the accumulated arrears of taxes.
At the last tax sale it appeared that
several widows and orphans had their
'old homesteads" on the tax sale lists.
not being made aware by their agents
that an installment of taxes had lapsed
some time in the past. All Of this prop
erty. some worth thousands OF dollars,
might have been put on the tax sale mar
ket to be bought in for a few dollars, the
tax sale title operating possibly as a
club to beat out a great many dollars
from the purse OF the original owner.
Work Of Special Committee.
The possibilities Of this latter condition
are thought to be unfair by the Commits
sioners. The bill is the combined work OF
special committee appointed some time
ago by the Commissioners to draft new
legislation on the subject Of tax sales and
tax deeds. the members being Auditor
Alonzo Tweedale. Assessor William p,
Richards. Collector Of Taxes Charles C.
Rogers. Secretary William Tindall and
Daniel q. Garges. chief clerk Of the en-
gineer department.
The letter sent to Congress explaining
the needs Of the bill says that the present
tax sale law is defective in that a large
number OF properties burdened with over
due taxes cannot find purchasers, either
at public or private sale, because OF the
inability Of the District to give the pur.
chasers good titles. principally for the
reason that the courts regard with dis
favor the passing Of a tax deed for the
disproportionate value which the arrears
of taxes for which the property is usually
sold bears to the real value Of the prop
erty. Consequently the District Of Co
lumbia becomes a bidder for a very con-
siderable amount of such prope. ty. and
must therefore hold the property bid In
by it with very little probability Of be-
ing able to use or dispose OF It.
Method Recommended.
missioners for such cases it to take the
matter to the Equity Court. which is d.
rected by the proposed bill to order a
public auction and to have the property sold
at a sum regulated by market conditions.
Then the amount of the taxes would be
deducted and the remainder would go to
the owner. This is considered fair to
the District, to the property owner and
to the buyer.
The Commissioners say:
lin such cases could be taken into
equity the court might order the sale of
the property at public sale. and after pay
ing the District Of Columbia the taxes,
penalties and costs out of the proceeds OF
such sales, transfer the surplus to the use
Of the owners of the property, who would
thus get q fair value for their holding, in
stead of the Insignificant surplus above the
overdue taxes which usually is due them
| under the present confscatory method"
Sales for Arrears.
| The bill has a section designed ex-
pressly to provide for the sale Of prop
erty in arrears for assessments OF bene-
| fits involved In condemnation Of land for
alley and highway purposes and to in
crease the rate of interest on such ar
rears to approximately the rate Of inter-
est charged on other arrears Of taxes and
| assessments. The Commissioners believe
this will make 1t to the interest of owners
of property to pay assessments promptly.
The letter explains:
There is no explicit authority in the
present law to sell property for such ar
rears. The rate Of interest on indebted
ness of that kind. which is only per
cent, is not only too small to operate as
an incentive to prompt payment, but
tends to delay payment. because the own
ers Of the property concerned may more
This section proposes to raise this rate to
per cent, which the Commissioners be-
1ieve would have the effect of a penalty
for default, and. in connection with the
liability to sale of the property make the
prompt payment of such assessment an
melting object to the debtor