The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-07-26

erly section of Concy Island the nominal
owners of the land nnd themfelves in a
peculiar position aud one Of extreme mo-
ment. The cause Of the uneasiners In
due to the fact that the sinking Fund
Commission OF tho citf 81 New York
refuses 10 give uu.j rl1,m Il eds to the
present holders Ot tide. AS conse-
quence the various t';le Insurance COM
panies refuse To- r.iuItnt," tne titles In
many cases and HhHoiu, refuse to aid
the owners In obtaining building or other
loans to Improve propertr that because
of Its fast Increasing value can no longer
be left unimproved
Property valued az more than 81 ,00O.-
900 r. involved As result OF the great
unrest occasonCd by this condition.
at n special meeting OF The West End I'm
provement League OF Coney Island. the
matter was discussed by those pres
ent and resolutions adopted which
have been presented to Borough President
Pounds OF Brooklyn with the request that
he place the matter before the Board
OF Estimate and Apportionment and
urge that body to take such action as
will relieve the tension.
Tho condition arises out OF n phase
OF the old town government and dates
back to the days when tho former town
of GraNestnd was an English possession
under royal grant by King George ".
Then all the land was divided into thirty
nine equal parts and allotted to the
original settlers I'm the Lady Deborah
Moody colony. All OF the land remaining
undivided WAS held In common for the
benefit OF all the colonists and was to
be used for pasturage. fishing. hawking
and other purposes. Most OF Coney ISL
and. now the most valuable OF the old
town lands was IN that class and was
held to be of such small value that but
few OF tho old settlers ever dreamed of
acquiring any individual title.
With the coming OF the islasd's popu-
lar!ty az n summer resort, however. the
Coney Island tracts were seen to be at
tanning great value and by vote OF the
frecholders OF the town were merged into
one common land fund and an enabling
act sought 10 permit the commissioners
OF the fund to sell the land and to
apply the proceeds TO the maintenance OF
roads aud highways In the town of
Gruy,scHd. In this manner many OF the
large Couey Island fortunes were
founded. The commissioners of the fund.
with the consent OF the freeholders at IA
town meeting, would sell to the highest
bidder Many of these tracts. however.
were so yalIcless at the time that the
purchasers from the fund would often
abandon undesirable portions OF the
tracts rather than pay even the small
tax assessments levied.
In this way during the early 900 the
state OF New York sold out several parcels
OF land for unpaid taxes and the prop
critics were acquired by Spectators who
proceeded TO develop them and TO sell
them out to intending builders and home
seekers. Most of the property thus af-
fected Is located between West Twenty
third and West Thirty-seventh streets. In
the meantime Neptune avenue had been
laid out. In making this street the south
channel of the Coney Island Creek was
bist ctCd and such land az was located
south OF the avenue was filed in by the
Spectators and laid out in lots after they
had acquired the properties in the several
tax sales
Until recently tho question OF title has
not bothered any one to any great extent,
but the rapidly increased assessed valu-
alton brought about the necessity for the
smaller investor to improve the property.
streets, sewers. grading and paving as
easements made necessary the substantial
Improvement and many made applications
- the title companies for building loans.
There they were confronted with the fac,
that the city OF New York had from time
10 time mildly asserted proprietary rights
~ many of the parcels I'm the section.
Therefore the olouded condition of IN.
titles prevented the issuance of policy
and a consequent inability TO either Inn
prove or sell Many OF the smaller own
crs and not few of tho larger ones rs
wei became more or less panic stricken
AMI an effort was made to have some
definite policy adopted by the city
Despite the fact that there seems to be
some claim to certain rights in many
pieces OF the property the city has annu-
ally collected taxes and assessments
whenever levied, from the nominal own
era. Several OF the latter have refused
10 pay taxes or assessments until the city
has shown Its position in the matter
AZ no action had been taken the meeting
OF Sunday last was designed to urge action
that would determine the real ownership
The city has already collected more in
tiNes aud assessments than some parcels
OF the property would bring. but the nomi-
nal owners are holding on in the hone
INIT tho market and the clouded condition
viii improve ..
~ tho meet.ngg there were more
than 900 lots represented, with n valua-
tion or nearly 100000 The resolutions
p'Ssed state that the city Of New York
"hould at once give a quit claim deed to
all lands lying north Of Neptune avenue
between West Twcnty-thlrd and West
Thrty-iifth streets and lying south OF the
hulthc1d line between West Thirty-ffth
and West Thirty-seventh streets and IL
= compromise agreement is not arrived
- ~ once regarding the lands under
water between West Twenty-third and
West Thirty NTH streets north Of Nep-
tune avenue that the rights of the parties
be tested in court az speedily s possible