The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-10-04
BENNETT FIGURES
AS TAX LIEN BUYER
Comptroller Of Nassau County
Alleged to Have Exacted
Heavy Profit.
COCKS TO SUPPLY LIST
Chairman Of Mayors Com
mittee Appeals for Postpone
ment Of Next Big Sale.

It appeared from testimony heard BY
Magistrate Appleton yesterday that Earl
J. Bennett now Comptroller Of Nassau
county, bought lot at Nassau tax
sale and sold II to the original owner for
nearly thirty-eixht times as much as
Mr.. Bennett paid for Il. Tho Magistrate
Immediately sent subpoena down to
Rockville Centre. where Mr.. Bennett lives
and practices law. directing him to ap-
pear in court in the Municipal Building
at noon to-day as witness in the tax
sale investigation.
Under tho law Mr.. Bennett had a
right to charge what he pleased for the
land. but the Magistrate wants TO ask
him what he thinks Of the law.
TIE witness who told about his DEAL
jngs With NJ. Ecnnett--thcy took place
two years ago. just before the election
which made Mr.. Bennett Comptroller--
; was Anton J. Wettach. wholesale
butcher, living at 22o West Seventy-first
street lie Is the administrator OF the
estate of his father. who owned good
deal Of property in Rockville Centre.
Received No Tax ELL.
About eleven years ago. said Mr.. Wet
tach, he bought four lots at Rockville
Centre, ...'
About seven years after bought tho
lots" he continued, "a young man called
| me up and asked me If ! wanted to buy
one OF my own lots He said he held
a deed 10 H. told him there was no
| mortgage on the lot and couldn't under
stand what he meant. Well, went to
tho county offices In Mineola and found
out that the Assessors, in making up
the tax roll for 1907. had made mis-
take. The tax due on two OF my lots
had not been included in the bill sent
me. 7 had paid what thought was all
my taxes, but on account OF the mistake
that had been made the taxes were In
arrears for that ono year 1907. 20
ceived no notice OF that fact. Each year
! after that the bills were correct. all my
lots being mentioned and I continued TO
paw the taxes. Not until after the Young
man telephoned me in 1912 did learn
that the county had put my Two lots w
at auction in 1909. had bid them in and
iatcr had sold them to private IN
diyidua,s. ~.
"Tnere was nothing for me to do but
try to buy them back. as the lots were
constantly increasing IN value and are
now worth 1880 apiece. invited the
Young man to luncheon and asked hin
how much he wanted for the lot he hao
bought from the county. He asked seoo
then came down to 5000. I offered hin
500 and after six months he 'eompro-
missed ut 5000, which I paid.
Mr.. Wettach exhibited the deed II
, court. il she we'd that the man IRON
whom he recovered this lot was Gaprie
Bandler, who was said by samuel Q
Breslin. counsel to the Mayors commit
tee on taxation, to he the father o.
David Rsndle-. one OF the largest buyer'
OF Nassau county tax sale lots
and how much had AR. Bandler paic
the county 70. the lot which he sold tS
YOU for s.00?'' asked Magistrate Apple
The amour. OF the tax for, one veal
. l-S245." said Mr.. Wettaoh.
says Bsnnstt A~oiAea Nesstta ton
what happened TO the other lot %
We'll" replied TIE witness. j fount
out that the second lot, on which hat
been paying taxes all the time. ant
which I supposed owned. had been SOLE
by the county to Earl J. Bennett TO
S2Ss. the amour. OF one years unpat'
I taxes. I tried 10 negotiate With Bennet'
, the same as with handler He Away
put me oil. and wouldn't state price
!, II was around election time and
thought to myself that II didn't get IN
q lot back then I'd have a pretty hard tim
doing II. after election. so l kept Tigh
after AFR. Bennett. l fnally gave hin
a 500 for the lot. ond he gave me dec
4 | on October 81. 1915"
You own these lots now, do you?
, Magistrate Appleton asked.
yes" said MI Wettach. THAT Is.
f., think do, I've got tax lien deeds 10
7 them"
In response to a telegram from Nj
" ysreslin. W. ". Cocks of Westbury. WIN
has testified rcat he bought about so
:, lots at n Nassav county sale. said yes
- terday he would give the Mayors com
u mittee a full, list of this property to-daH
!. Nathan Hirsch, chairman of the commit
y tee, has sent a letter to each of the Mas
sau Supervisors asking them TO post
pone the tax sale Of about $4,000 lot
scheduled 70: December until prope
o laws be enaoIed which will give ever
one his day in court"
y "In these times OF war, stress an
trouble We s,iould all be drawn togeths
a by bonds OF sympathy and should ten
& per justice With mercy" Mr.. H!rsc
wrote.