The Washington herald., 1912-10-25
SUGGESTS BETTER
COLLECTION ways
Tax Collector Charles G. Rogers
Makes Annual Report to Dis
trict Commissioners.
WANTS ADDITIONAL
POSITIONS CREATED
Law Needed So that q Tax Lien
Can Be Enforced Through
Courts.

collections for the last fiscal year to
have been the largest ever made for
the District, Tax Collector Charles c.
Rogers yesterday recommended to- the
District Commissioners the enactment of
legislation to provide better means of
collection Of real estate taxes in ar
rears- The present law, he stated. does
not meet requirements.
The report states in part:
What is needed is legislation which
will enable the District and all parties
concerned to go into the Court Of Equity
where the rights of all will be preserved
and there have q settlement by which
the District will receive the amount Of
taxes owed. penalties. and other costs
that have accrued. In other words. q
law should be enacted by which the
District of Columbia can enforce a tax
lien in the courts"
AT present. there is no method by
which the District can collect its real
estate taxes in arrears, except the an
nuaI tax sale. According to law, a tax
deed given by the Commissioners to q
purchaser at a tax sale. after two years
produces a good title in fee. but as q
matter of fact the courts of the Dis
trict have never, as yet. passed title to
property by means of a tax deed and the
result is that tax deeds In the District
OF Columbia furnish merely a cloud on
the title. This is the condition which
a purchaser at a tax sale encounters,
and for that reason II Is not considered
by many as being a very profitable busi-
ness"
Makes Recommendation.
Personal taxes are assessed in July
Of each year. and are not due and pay
able until the May following. which Is
ten months later. During this time
many persons close their places Of busi-
ness, transfer their personal property,
leave the city, and in many ways fix
themselves SO that II is impossible for
the collector to pursue and collect the
amount owing the District. Now all of
the taxes Of this kind remain on the
books Of the assessor and collector for
all time. do not consider this good &C.
counting. and if authority OF some kind
were given us it would enable the Dis
trict to clean up the personal tax books
at given intervals"
The following recommendation which
was made in the collectors report for
the year 1903 Is renewed:
"As an aid to the collection Of per-
sonal taxes when assessed to owners OF
motor boats. launches, and other water
craft. it is sugge that IL the facilities
for assessing a. csfisc'-e the same
were improved she "e GrUlH from this
source would b = <iy inS eased.''
Tn the annufi r2rsrt OF tnis Office for
a better issTsf, r'seanmended that
prevail in re ID .sS-Ssl--ltinE should
deposits accounts. TaE includes checks
and cash deposited by Contractors show
ing good faith. Heretofore these funds
were kept in the safe Of the collectors
Office, and were returned to the depositor
on an order OF the chief clerk Of the
Engineer Department. All OF these funds
are now deposited In the United States
Treasury. and are returned to the de-
positor by the disbursing officers check:
this is as it should be, And this Office
is glad to note that its Recommendation
Of 1909 in this regard has gone into ef-
feet
Two New Places.
81 have recommended in the estimates
which have been submitted for the fiscal
year 1914. that two new places be cre-
ated for this ONCE. a chief bailiff and
another assistant cashier"
During the twelve months that ended
July l last. the total receipts were $s,-
633. 1885. or an increase of $3.50, 49, 80 in
the collection Of any previous year.
increases in the returns OF every reve-
nue-prOuuclnS source are SHOWN by the
report Realty taxes were greater by
$4s6.759. and personal taxes by $3s 7l5.74
Miscellaneous receipts recorded a healthy
increase, amounting to $l52, ,526Os
Trust funds collected during the year
to 81 ,397.234.S an increase OF
s1sc.572-22 while there was collected on
account of miscellaneous receipts credit |
ed to the United States $i3S.S5S4s. an in |
crease over last year of $lo3. 3.3eO.S9
The total water fund collected. includ-
ing rents. &c. was 76,Sss.61. or $3,-
1879 more than was collected during |
1911.
According to the report there is still on
the books Of the office a large balance Of
reality taxes assessed to the WASHINGTON
Gas Light Company and the GEORGETOWN /
ias Light Company, on their service
pipes and meters, for the years 1906 to
9l2, inclusive, which have not been paid,
md also a large balance of realty taxes
assessed to the Washington Terminal
Company and the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad Company for the years 1910 to
9l2, inclusive. for the use of certain
streets, &c. on which settlement likewise
$ due.
When these accounts have been ad-
usted. 1t is stated, the balances Of un-
'aid realty taxes for the last twenty
ears will average less than 1900 a year.
l.
Lecture at Catholic Univernity.
"Justinian and ~barlannaOna,, xr,. a..