The Washington times., 1919-03-10
SPECTATORS
AGAIN TO GET
REALTY SOLD
ON TAX BILLS
By BILL PRICE.

Beginning tomorrow there will be
pat on sale by the collector of taxes
Of the District 1900 parcels Of prop
: erty for non-payment Of taxes for the
year 1918.
The same old system has been going
on for years, q system that has On
riched several shrewd gentlemen who
are specuIatiVely inclined; willing, Of
course, to take chances-largely IN
their favor.
This sale will continue a week, to
be followed later by heartburnings,
ill-feeIing, litigation and woes uumer-
Gus. Most Of this property belongs 20
the comparatively poor, some to the
thoughtless and forgetful, some to the
cussedly contrary, who resist tax pay
ments anywhere and everywhere.
The law under which the sale takes
place Is old, full OF injustices TO those
who own small parcels Of property,
and ought to be repealed. 1t would
have been obliterated before this but
for the fact that Congress apparently
cares little for the affairs Of the Dis
trict except in preventing the passage
Of Legislation the people want.
The District Commissioners sub
mftted corrective measure more than
q year ago. Il was formally intro
diced In Senate and House, and there
remains, sleeping peacefully.
TRe Law aod the Sales.
The parcels will be suct!oEed OF in
the Office Of Ben Prince, collector.
I There win be present each day q good
many bidders, but the great majority
OF the properties will be bought in
By Charles II. Wntsie, Of Rochester,
IN. 2; John Faust, Of Cleveland, Ohio,
! and possibly Z. ]. Rout, Of Philadel-
phia. Representatives Of .rust COM
panies or holders Of mortgages will
protect themselves where they have
trustA A few local individuals will
ufbble ~ q lot or two.
WEltsie has been engaged in this
business In the District for more than
twenty years. He once hal q monoD-
oily On t. Faust then got ia the game.
They competed for q short time, but
SlEaf was not good business from their
point Of view, 80 they alternate in
lids ROW, the bids just covering the
amount OF taxes, penalties, costs, etc.
Where there are heavy assessments
nEainst properties for sewers, or
water mains in addition to taxes the
Gwo principal buyers lay on. The
District So compelled TO become pur-
chaser, which Il does OF the same
terms as the Individual purchasers
except that it assumes the prospect Of
real trouble The District has to take
what the other people do not want
Certificates Of sale go to the pur-
chassrs. Under the existing Law the
owner Of the property has q right
any time within two years from date
OF sale to Isdeem the property upon
payment Of taxes. costs. etc, plus q
nice little penalty of u per
cent, virtually interest on the money
put In by the purchasers. This il
done through the arrears division OF
the collectors office, which turns the
money over to the purchaser and re-
cefVes in exchange the certificate he
has been given
At the end Of two years, il nc SET
Iement has been made, the purchaser
is given a deed by the District, e deed
which the courts have declined - hold
il clear title, in view Of the fact that
the consideration paid Is not OF suf-
1icient value to warrant the property
passing definitely into the hands Of
the purchaser.
Gets Deed In Two Years.
But the deed Is sufficient to put in
the hands Of the purchaser the power
Of private settlement on his own terms
with the former owner. For his
there must naturally be 4
good bonus. No man should be men,
tally tortured without fat recon-
pense. The former owner has the
right TO go 70 court about the matter
and there spend more money II ne de-
sires; that is, IL he or she is familiar r