Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-06-16


In his letter to the president of the
| board of Commissioners. Assessor Rich
ards gives several instances of alleged un-
equal assessments. which. he asserts, are
claimed by critics of the board as fair
samples.
One of these relates to lot II, in
square 449, which is stated as assessed
at $11199, and as having sold for
s55.O1O. According to the assessor, this
property did not sell for any such figure,
but was traded for ten houses in the
suburbs and the consideration named was
two or three times the worth of the
property.
another example" continues the letter.
lis that of small property near Corby s
bakery. which was properly assessed. but
which Mr. Corby had to have in order to
extend his plant. necesStating a fancy
price for the lot Another instance is
that of lot in square $40, purchased
by Mr.. Lisner, and which, in the opinion
of the buyer, was assessed too high. An
other case cited was in square $50, where
the figures are wrong. as lots ~ and 80
sold for $3.50, and were assessed on
basis of 100000. Again, in square $40,
the consideration for lot - is given as
500, 200 when it should be ST., COO the
property being assessed on basis of
$4,000. There certainly can be no fair
ness in submitting figures under condi-
tons noted above
Denial of the charge that cheap homes
have been overasSeSSed is made by the
assessor, who states that the opposite is
the true state of affairs.
Changes in property values have been
going on al rapid rate for several years
in all sections of the city" he states.
Just as they have done in i'm other cities.
The property that has suffered most is
not the small residences. but homes above
the middle class, where values Of fifteen
or twenty thousand dollars have shrunk
to ten or twelve thousand.
The business section of the city. south
of III street and between 9Th and 10Th
streets northwest pays more taxes than
all the northeast. southeast and south
west portions of the CITY," states the
assessor in concluding his letter, with
the difference, however, that the taxes or
the business section are expended, In
greater part outside of the section. The
completed in December, 1910. and it is
believed by this office that any fair and
full examination by competent authority
will show that the assessment as whole
is close to the right amount.
Declares Fair Sales Ignored.
Nothing has been printed in the pa
pers to show the freak nature of certain
sales, and all low or even fair sales have
been ignored. Places on 14th on 6. on
F.. on 10th, on 18th, on 18th and other
streets have sold since the assessment at
prices less than the basis of assessment.
This office intends to tabu!ate the prin-
cipal sales of business property and to
arrange them with assessments in COM
parative columns SO that it can be shown
how false is the assertion that the bust
ness property is grossly undervalued and
how ridiculous it is to assert that the
present assessment should be doubled.
Erroneous information has been given
as to the raises in assessments in i'm
provements. but this will be made clear
by a future statement showing how the
requirements of law have been carried
out slowly because of lack of proper ma
chinery; certain sections being adjusted