The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1911-03-23
TO TAKE PERSONAL PROPERTY
Treasurer Must Take Strenuous Steps
to Collect S1,70O in Personal Proper
ty Now outstanding-No Warning
to be Given.


AoSLG0dAG SIty IIcdSul6I 4ls Va DU0A-
ner acting at the order of the City
Council is to take strenuous efforts to
collect outstanding personal taxes and
the collection of these taxes will be
| started just as soon as the report of
the City Treasurer has been checked
up. The books viii be turned over on
Tuesday morning and these books will
show total of $1,700 outstanding in
personal taxes. This is nearly double
the amount returned as delinquent per
sonal taxes for last year and the fin
ance committee of the council has or
dered the Assistant Treasurer to pro-
coed at once to collect the tax. He has
been instructed to use the police de-
partment Of the city to enfore the col
lection. Under the law the city has
the right to enter homes and business
houses and seize property sufficient to
cover the amount assessed in personal
taxes. There are now more than 200
people in the city against, whom per-
sonal taxes were charged who have re-
fused to pay the tax: For the most
part these are people who have no real
estate in the city and in most cases
the amount assessed against them as
personal tax is decidedly, small. The
assessors in the former years have as
sessed this property and no objection
to the assessment was made to the
board Of review. 1t is certain that
nearly all of the people know that the
assessment was returned and in many
cases the schedules for the delinquent
taxes were made out by the property
owners themselves. Assistant Treasur-
err Boerner has issued bills to every tax
payer and due notice has been served
that the time for the payment of the
tax has long since expired. At the
present time it would be possible for
the treasurer to demand an added fif.
teen per cent on all outstanding taxes
but it is probable that the delinquents
will be. let off with the payment Of the
principal sums. During the last seven
months City Attorney Calvin Stewart
has started actions in court to attach
property on which personal taxes were
not paid and the decision in these cases
has established a precendent for collec-
lions this year. The full list of delin-
quents will be turned over to the Chief
of Police and he will be instructed to
proceed at once to take possession of
sufficient property 70 meet the demands
of the city, This property must be sold
at public auction. In speaking of the
matter Assistant Treasurer Boerner
said: "I have no alternative but to act
on the orders of the city council and
the finance committee ). of the council
has given instructions that these taxes
must be collected even if the property
of the people must be seized in order
to meet the amount demanded. | have
been assured the fullest cooperation
from the police officers of the city in
this matter. It is planned to begin
the collection of these taxes at once. -
The books show that year by year
the amount of unpaid personal taxes
increases This money has all been APP
propriated to certain funds of the city
and if it is not collected these funds
will be short to just this extent. Many
of the delinquent tax payers are men in
business and it is thought that it will
be an easy matter to collect these
taxes.