Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-05-18
Southeast Is 0verassessed,
Says Clarence F. Donohoe.
GIVES SPECIFIC INSTANCES
Shows in Some Cases Sales Were
Made at Lower Figures.
INVESTIGATION NOT THOROUGH
Real Estate Man Says Present
Board Has Not Sufficient Time to
Study Conditions.

Specific instances of property in
Southeast Washington being sold a,
| figures lower than the official assess
ment in some cases. were given by
Clarence f. Donohoe, real estate
dealer, before the Henry George tax
investigating committee in the House
office building yesterday afternoon
After The Stars report closed Mr.
George delved into real estate sales in
the southeast, and made the state
ment that he believed the board OF
assistant assessors had overassessed
property in that neighborhood.
There is no reason for raise in
the assessments" said Mr.. Donohoe
for the property will not warrant it.
Some speculative builders have had
nerve enough to build new houses over
there. but they have traded their prop
| erty off in many instances"
| He mentioned the name Of the late
John e. Herrell. president of the Ma
tional Capital Bank.
He knew a great deal about south
east property said the witness. land
| would make loans on the properties over
| there. Now trust company has charge
| OF his estate; i'm every instance where a
trust comes due they are demanding
/ AO~AA
| or taking 1t up
IF Mr.. Herrell were alive would he
| pursue the same course of curtaiing?"
! asked Mr.. George.
| II have no doubt of it," replied Mr.
Donohoe, and he would be warranted
| in doing So"
No Time for Investigations.
Speaking of methods of assessment. Mr..
Donohoe said the present board does not
have time under the existing law to
| make thorough Investigations of prop
erty.
They drive up to a house and look al
| it from the front; 1 have never seen
them go through house yet. In this
way they have increased the assess
ment on improvements, although the i'm
provements have not been made The
assessments in the southeast do not
show any allowance for depreciation, but
show increases on the identical build
ings."
Getting down to specific instances to
bear out his assertion that assessments
in the southeast have been raised with
out warrant, Mr.. DonOhOe took up the
purchase of two lots on B street be-
tween Sd and 4th streets. In 1908 the
property was assessed, he said, at $1.10
foot.
| bought these lots in 1911 for 80 cents
q foot, in open market. The title was
taken in Mr.. McKee's name. and after
he had made an affidavit to the assessor
that he had bought it for 80 cents a
foot the assessment was reduced to that
figureT"
why wasn't the assessment placed at
60 cents?" asked Mr.. George. THAT
| value as required by law?" Mr.. George
| made considerable comment also On the
fact that the land was bought for 90
| cents a foot less than the assessed
value.
I'm 1908 and 1909 the property at 12o Z
| street" continued Mr.. Donohoe, was as.
| sessed for $2,904, and the 191O-1911 assess
ment raised 1t to A.S47. The property was
sold by an administrator, E. NJ. Grinder
April "a. 1912, for 5000 1t was a sale
cent more.
Cites Another Instance.
LOT in square $40. which is 212 4tr
| street, was assessed at $2,622 In the 100:
assessment, and held at that figure in the
191O-1911 assessment. 1t was withdrawn
from sale at 81. 70O and sold at private
| sale for $1,000 The assessment figures
should have been $1,000.
II also have in mind property on Penn
sylvania avenue between Sd and 4tt
| streets assessed in 1908 and 1909 at So
971, and sold at public sale for 81. 1OO.'
George, instead of being at two-thirds
of actual value, was really within S15t
Of it,
Mr.. Donohoe took up the case of a va
cant lot on N street between Half and
list streets, assessed at ~ cents square
foot In 1908. raised to II cents in 1910
1911. The area of the lot amounts to
4,S16 square feet. he said.
The owner of this lot had a mort
gage on it for $500; recently the holder
n nna6n him cllrfai1 IT nv EDlO he
cause he was afraid of the security.
The owner is willing to rive up the
land for $3.50, but no one wants it.
There was nothing under the sun to
warrant raise in the assessment, and
the property is steadily growing of less
value, in my opinion"
Property near the Jail was considered
by Mr.. Donohoe, who gave an instance
| feet. on 18th street between A and E
streets, assessed at prices from cents
to IL cents a foot, and sold less than
q year ago, he said. for 0 cents foot.
offer an example of the methods of
| assessment in the southeast" he con-
tinued. I'm 1908 this property was assess
ed at 81, 200 on each house. The latest
assessment is s. 200 apiece. and nothing
has happened to the property except de-
probation"
IT would say, them" commented Mr..
George, that none of the increases men,
toned are warranted.
| More Than It's Value.
An instance of assessment being at
more than hundred per cent was offered
by the real estate man, who said that the
houses at 217-219 H street northeast were
figured in the 1908 assessment at $3,503.
and carried at that figure in the latest
| assessment.
"These houses have been on the market
now for two months and we can't get an
offer of more than So, 900" he added.
MIR. Donohoe gave a similar example Of
some property on Virginia avenue. ant
ended with the property at 1914 Sd street
which he said was assessed at 81 .932 IN
1908, carried at the same figure in the
latest assessment, and sold for 81. 100 II
February Of this year. This property
he said, was sold for George r.. Repett
to John G. Slater, and that one party tt
| the sale was willing to let it go for $500
He ended his testimony by saying thai
southeast property was not increasing, be-
| cause that section. in his opinion. doe: