The Washington herald., 1914-10-13
DISPUTES CLAIMS
NGEORGEREPORT
Assessor Richards Says In
creased Assessment Would
Hit Small Homes.
MAY WIPE OUT EQUITIES
Careful Study of Property Values in
Business Section Made by As
sistants. He Says.
MAY WIPE OUT EQUITIES

Renewing the controversy over District
land values between himself and the
! George-Prouty-Johns coterie in Con-
gress, District Assessor Richards yes
tentions Of this group in his annual re-
port
The George report, which was quoted
! as dogma when johnson and Prouty
wished to abrogate the half-and- half
plan through abortiye amendments to
| the George tax bill, declared that a fair
! estimate OF land values here would pre-
sent a total valuation of S744, 900 900, and
that an equitable taxation at the existing
rate would net between 81. 10000 and
81, 10000 revenue annually. Furthermore,
the George report claimed. most Of the
Increase would fall on fine business prop
erty and handsome residential land.
The report issued yesterday by the as
SCISSOR fatty contradicts both Of these
claims. Mr.. Richards says that the in
creased taxation would fall heaviest upon
small homes, to such an extent in fact,
that many owners Of small equities would
be wiped out.
Check Up Isolated Instances.
In making the triennial assessment
treated in the report, the assistant ssses-
sors have been at particular pains to
check up on the iolated instances present.
ed by the George report in substantiation
OF its extravagant claims. AS a result.
the business property which the George
investigators claimed to be worth Szl,-
100000, is to be assessed on the basis Of
SO. 0OO. 900. such valuation being fixed after
the assessor had looked up virtually
every large sale in the business, district
in recent years.
The report says, in part:
ITO raise between eleven and twelve
million dollars of tax on real estate in
the District of Columbia will not af-
feet large property holders as seriously
as 1t will the small home owner, and
II an assessment could be made with
perfect justice and equality over the en-
tire District and a rate fixed so as to raise
such an amount OF tax as the above, II
will practically double the tax on every
small home in the District and wipe out
the equity in many pieces of property now
being purchased on time
BusIness section Carefully Studied.
Referring to the controversy over busi-
ness property values, the report con-
tinues:
The business section has been care
fully studied by the present board OF
assistant assessors. and property val
ues in that section have been critically
examined by the board Of equalization
and review. After considering many ap-
peals an assessment has been placed on
land and buildings OF less than $4,000. 0oO
Practically all large sales made within
the last five years were in possession
OF the bo6rd. The same property is said
to be worth $214. 900, OF which 1884,
10000 represent ground values which
enter into the aforesaid large estimate.
The fine residence property, which
is said TO have ground value OF nearly
Sl00 O00. COO, has not been assessed on the
land much over a third of this amount,
and yet the board studied the ground
values in this section with especial care.
Increase I'm Suburban Section.
In the suburban section a heavy ad-
dition has been made to the old assess
ment, but the claim that the true value
OF the ground was five times the old
was not found to be SUBJ
stantiated by either sales or offer Of
sales. An unusual amount OF appeals
and discussion was held relative to this
section and the new assessment can be
shown to slightly exceed two-thirds of
the average sale.
In the country, a rise in value is ma
tural over three years, but one example |
as to the reckless statements regarding |
county values can be shown in the claim |
that land near Chevy Chase circle is |
worth 81 a foot for well-located lots. The |
board, after a hearing given to lot own |
ers and home owners Of this section, found |
that the highest value ever paid on any
ot does not approach a dollar a foot, but |
that one Of the best corner lots lately |
sold for less than 20 cents per foot and |
that well-located lots are on the market |
It 30 cents per foot Two and one-half |
million dollars worth of sales of large
tracts scattered over the entire county |
would have to be established to be worth |
:, 100000, in order to agree with the FIVE
undred-million-dollar estimate.