Perth Amboy evening news., 1910-11-21
SAYS GREGORY
CANNOT PAY
PART OF BILL
Collector Refused Money for
Real Estate With Personal
Tax Left Out.

lax Lett Uut.
COUNTY TAX BOARD ONLY
CAN MAKE CHANGE
John H. Gregory Is angry with the
collector of revenue because the lat
ter will not allow him to pay his
real estate tax separate from his per-
sonal tax. Mr.. Gregory went to the
city hall this morning with his at
torney. stephen F. Somogyi, and
tried to pay the tax on his real
estate, but the money was refused
at the window. Mr.. Gregory tried to
push the money in and John White.
the clerk, tried to prevent him. Be-
tween the two some of the coins
rolled off on the floor. This money
Mr.. Gregory and his attorney gather
ed up, but claim they could not find
all of it. They then left the city
hall, claiming that the collector had
no right to refuse the payment of
the real estate tax. Mr.. Gregory
later made the following statement:
81 sent to the collector of revenue
on November l 4 my check for $109.-
70 with the following letter:
Mr.. Richard F. White, Collector,
Dear Sir:
4 enclose you a check for $110.-
S6 less six per cent. interest, .64.
$109.72 being amount of taxes on
real estate block "a. Kindly give
ME a separate bill for the personal
tax, as l wish to appeal from the
same.
Respectfully yours,
" JOHN H. GREGORY
This morning / met Mr.. White in
front of the city hall. He said he
would not take the money In settle
ment for taxes of real estate and
would not separate the bill, but
would give me credit for it. / real
lied that 1 had not rendered the
cash, so l went to the bank, got the
money and returned to the city hall
with my attorney. Stephen F. Som
ogyi. John White was at the win
dow. I rendered at the Office Of the
collector Of revenue, with witness,
.$109.S4, in cash, as full settlement
for taxes on the real estate. He
pushed the money on the floor OF
the city hall and said, nothing do
ing" My attorney, who, with me,
made the tender, demanded more
courteous treatment from the col
lector's office"
When asked why he had refused
to receive the. money from MIR.
Gregory, Collector White said he had
~ 1N
1.-THE tax bills are sent out" said
Mr.. White, land I am only the col
lector. / have no right to take part
of mans bill and leave the rest. II
Mr.. Gregory has an appeal to make
he should take it to the County
Board of Taxation. The comptroller
of the city charges the collector with
all the assessments made in the city.
The collector has to show either the
cash paid or that the amount has
been properly cancelled by the Coun-
ty Board of Taxation.
ri get all kinds of requests from
the taxpayers similar to the one Mr..
Gregory made. Sometimes man
objects to paying the school tax be-
cause he has no children in the
schools. He wants to pay the other
assessments and appeal the schooi
tax. But / cannot change the tax
bill. l am only the collector. The
man must either pay the bill as 1t
stands or appeal to the County Tax
Board. have no option.
''In connection with Mr.. Gregory"
the collector continued, "it might be
interesting to know that he made
the same kind of trouble last year
when he was assessed at $25, 900.
He appealed to the County Tax
Board and lost. He then carried it
to the State Board of Taxation and
had the assessment reduced to
$4,000. He has not yet paid the
tax ON this assessment and / intend
to take steps at once to sell enough
of his property to realize the amount
of last years taxes.
GAS to this year, / had nothing 10
do with making the assessment and
all / can do is collect the amount.
If Mr.. Gregory or anyone else has
any complaint to make the County
Tax Board is the proper body to ap-
peal to-
Mr.. White denies that any money
was pushed on the floor. lie says
Mr.. Gregory was trying to push his
money through the receiving window
and in trying to prevent him doing
so some of the change fell on the
floor.
MIR. Gregory objects to the valua=
tion placed on his personal property
which INCLUDES the old boats at his
marine graveyard. 1t is because he
is fighting this and not his real
estate assessment that he wants to
pay his tax assessments separately.
Meagher & Smith Busy.
Meagher e. Smith have secured
contracts for the erection of con-
crete walls at the new plant Of the
Electric Smelling & Aluminium Com
pany, lin Woodbridge township and
for making improvements and gem
orally oyerhauling the former prop
erty OF Albert A. Guigues, in Lewis
street. between Rector and Water
streets