The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1910-08-19
ASSESSOR CROWLEY AND HIS OF.
FICIAL ACTS IN LIMELIGHT
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FlClAL ACTS In LlMEDlGHT
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was denied by the county clerk on
the ground that it was not the proper
procedure for anybody but the owner
who had let the taxes become delin-
quent. That a sale to anybody else
must be made at public auction giving
citizens an equal chance, and giving
the county opportunity to profit by
the values existing If there are any
over and above the amounts due in
taxes.
On July 18th, the board of commits
sioners in regular quarterly session,
passed upon the application of Mr..
Crowley for deeds to the above men
toned 1873 lots, and upon the advice
Of County Attorney Mcconnell the
same was denied, record of the matter
appearing on the commissioners rec
ords, page 481, first paragraph. This
proves that so far as these lots are
concerned Mr.. Crowley's statement is
true, that he did not buy tax title,
but apparently the plans were laid
anad partly matured for securing title
to 1873 lots in this instance.
In paragraph three of Mr.. Crow
ley's article he says he is charged
with holding up certain property at
the tax sale conducted on the 29th
OF June at Blackfoot and selling it to
parties not present.
Investigation of this matter in as
sessment roll number /, for the year
1909, reveals number of pieces of
property sold to Ruth r. Mccoy, and
in each instance the whole parcel of
land was covered by the amount paid
for taxes. No divisions appear, show
ing taxes paid on all of lot for half
of it, or taxes paid on five lots for
two of them, etc., all the lots are
absorbed for the delinquent tax, and
men who were present at the sale
state under oath that Ruth r. Mccoy
was not present at the bidding, either
in person or by agent or proxy. At
each of these descriptions red *"
appears upon the roll, and men who
came to bid upon some of these GER
tain lots, state that they were skipped
and not called, and when attention
was called to them, Mr.. Crowley ex-
planned that they had been redeemed
that morning, or that they were COW
cred by mortgage and could not be
sold, yet the record shows them sold
that day to Ruth R. Mccoy. Had
they been her own lots simply delin-
quent, he would have had that privi-
lege, but they were not, and private
sale was not proper procedure. 1t that
were permissible, several others
would have been glad to secure their
choice of lots before the sale. instead
Of going into competition at the sale,
at which time they were not offered
for bids.
AS the sale progressed, interest in
these certain lots in Crows addition
became more marked, and whenever
one of the red X' parcels was passed
somebody would protest, and in some
cases those desiring to bid demanded
hat right in the face of these other
and secured it.
Why the Change?
On page LAG at line q, lots FL and
% block 81, Crows addition to Idaho
Falls, owned by John Milton of No.
IL Center street, Barre, Vermont, the
axes due were $2.10, and the name
If the purchaser has been erased and
Bingham Co." stamped over the
The record at one time evil
lently read Sold to W
Was 1t Ruth r. McCoy?, before the
'rasure, and If so when did she pur-
'hase and why did she turn it back |
ind let the county have it for $2.1O?I
The Idaho Register of the 18th con-
aims an article by Mr.. Crowley, en-
tracing what appears in the foregoing
tatement by him, and also says that
'rior to the tax sale of June 29th,
lrs. Ruth r. Mccoy, a person he does
lot know and has never met, sent
i'm 800 with instructions to buy
200 or $500 worth of property for
Continued on page 81
NOR CT.AGCTnNE