Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1914-01-21
CHECKING Of SEWER
TITLE CLAIMS BEGINS
Council Takes Steps Toward fastening
Payment of Refund to People
Who Are Waiting,
WILL USE BOOKS OF LOCAL
ABSTRACT FIRMS IN WORK
Council Unanimously Votes to Have
Special Clerk and Abstract Man
Do Work Together.

At last evenings meeting of the city
council a resolution was unanimously
adopted to have Special Clerk Smith CO.
operate with the Salem Abstract com
pany in locating the title of property
upon which the sewer refunds are
claimed. This check is to be made to
ascertain for q certainty who is en-
titled to the refund. In cases where
there are two or more claimants, the
property having changed hands since
payment was made or for some other
reason, the claims will be held up until
the parties have adjusted matters.
The resolution passed last evening
leaves the matter in the hands of a
committee. One hundred claims will
be checked, beginning today, to ascer.
tain approximately the cost of the work,
and if it does not seem too expensive, the
committee will proceed with all possible
speed. This means that action will be
possible by Monday evening on few
score claims, at least. 1t was believed
last night that the claims could be
checked at the rate Of 100 per day.
Smith will be assisted in the work by
one of the experts employed by the
Salem Abstract company.
1t was the understanding last even
ing that the work might be divided
between the two local abstract com
panies so as to hasten it.
City Attorney Explains 1t.
City Attorney Page last evening ex
planned the necessity of knowing alb
solutely how the title to the property
stood before refunding the money. Ht
believed it to be just as important tC
know the facts as in the case of &
property transfer. The city was about
to disburse public funds and the fac
that property owner filed an affi
davit of ownership was not sufficient
He urged that something be done 81
that the money might be disbursed. On,
plan would be to go tothe county rec
ords and ascertain who had title 10th,
property. This would be slow and ex
pensive way. The other and cheape
way would be to gain access to th
books of one or both of the abstrac
firms and speedily trace title on thei
books, which are in convenient form 70
such work.
There was much discussion over tn
matter, Minton arguing that an affi
davit should be sufficient
Date Not Important,
The fact that December 10, 1912, wa
mentioned as the date ON which owner
ship was important in drawing a re
fund was taken up and Macy contende
it mad nothing whatever to do wit
payment He insisted that man
right to refund was fundamental an
> no ordinance could deprive him of il
The question whether the man VIII
paid the assessments or the man VIII
owned the property was entitled t
the refund was discussed. City Al
torney Page believed the question, wit
about three others, would probably b
litigated. He would like to see tn
supreme court pass upon few of tn
questions involved,
Urges Speedy Action.
Cummings urged that something b
done without delay TO clear up the ma
ter.
Jones and Spaulding discussed Ii
matter briefly spauldiug could see n
way out of it but to have the title il
|, vestigated before making payment.
Abstractor Lee discussed the matte
briefly. He said he was not sohcitin
a a Job and was present because urged
i come by the city attorney, He WI
willing to help the city as much as po
sible and would open his plant for Il
; use Of the checkers.