Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-09-10
D. c. ASSESSMENTS
ON BETTER CLASS
PROPERTY TO RISE
New Structures, Apartment
Houses, Office Buildings
Are Included.
MEOIUM-PRICED AND OLD
PROPERTIES UNCHANGED

PROPERTIES UNCHANGED
Biennial Valuation Statistics Here
Will Reveal Bigger List of
Home Owners.
The regular biennial assessment Of
real estate now being made will re-
suit in the placing of higher figures
on new structures. apartments. mod
ern office buildings and high-class
residences, while practically NO
changes will be made in the assess
ments on middle-class houses or old
buildings.
This is indicated by Assessor Will
liam p. Richards in his annual report
submitted to the Commissioners to-
day. The biennial assessment will be
completed by the end of the year and
Wi! be open to review between the
Monday in June, 1917
Guided by sales.
Discussing the new assessment. the
report states:
Inc Diennlal assessment OF real
estate, which is to be completed by
the 1st of January, 1921, has been
started by the assistant assessors, and
they will have as their guide about
so or 80 per cent of the sales that
have been made during the past two
years. The records show that out OF
20.o0o.0 900 worth of sales the basis Of
the old assessment is within 201c. This
seems more surprising. as many pieces
of property have sold from 50GS to
1909 above the old rate. However.
such sales are few, when compared
with the volume of all sales. and very
many sales have been upon the basis
of assessment or within 10T of that
basis. A great many large pieces of
vacant and poorly improved property
have been sold at prices far below the
basis of assessment, and this condi-
tion applies to both the business sec
tion and the outlying parts Of the
District.
The question of equalization has
given the board Of assessors consid-
cradle concern, as a normal sale should
| be by willing seller to a willing buyer.
But the abnormal state of the market
! has upset this rule. as many have been
driven to purchase property who did
not actually desire to own a home, but
were forced to pay either an exor-
bitant price for the property. with
| some hope Of being able to finance 1t,
or else to attempt to pay a rental that
| seemed to be entirely beyond their
means.
The abnormal price of building
material, as well as the cost of labor.
has placed some kind of premium ON
all buildings already erected. This
premium, of course, is greater on new
buildings than on the very old ones.
The question. therefore. confronts the
assessors as to how far. they should
go in raising assessments on i'm
ont ~ ,lo ho old
ones. 1t can be stated, however. that
certain amount of raise will be
made on the very new structures, on
apartment houses, fine office buildings
and first-class residences. 1t is doubt
full whether little or anything will be
done with middle-class houses or old
structures"
Number OF Accounts.
The assessor tells the Commission
ers there are now $4,000 real estate
accounts. more than ever before in
Gates an increase in the number Of
home owners.
To show that property in the Dis
trict has been assessed remarkably
close to true value, the assessor makes
this statement:
NEARLY two thousand sales, made
between July l, 1916. and July 1. 1913,
give a consideration of thirty-six and
a half million. which properties are
assessed at two-thirds of thirty-seven
and a half million, as shown by the
assessment that went into effect July
/. 1919"
The report of Mr.. Richards shows
that for the past fiscal year the as
sessment on taxable land was $21s.-
499.Sl1: assessment Of improvements
on that land, $213,123.S19; total. $426.-
$685. $50. The tax on that assessment
amounted to 399.354.45.
The assessment on tangible per-
sonal property was $66.S21,047. The
tax. figured at ! " per cent. was ST.
002. .315.71.
The assessment on intangible per-
sonal property was $323.031,277. The
tax, figured at three-tenths of l per
cent, was 1863 9,093.S3.
The tax collected from banks. pub
lie utilities. etc, from to per cent
on gross earnings. amounted to ST.
11S,3S9.26.
Owned by Government.
The report shows that the United
States owns 1920 acres of property
exempt from taxation: Government
provements. $114,097,50o. Total. $245.-
758.120.
The District of Columbia, according
to the report, owns 623 acres exempt
from taxes. This land was assessed at
s4,sss.224: improvements. s10.1s1.7o0.
Total. $15.080.924.
Property of religious. educational
and charitable institutions. which il
exempt from taxes, was assessed as
follows: Land, $10.679.003; improve
ments, $16.754.600. Total. $27, ,433,603.
This property covers 1.265 acres.
Collections fn 1922.
If the new tax rate of $1.s5. which
was fixed for the current fiscal year,
remains in effect for the year begin
ming July /. 1921. Mr.. Richards esti-
mates that tax collections in May,
1922, should be as follows:
Real estate, 100000: personal
property, S2.65o.o 900; special reimburs-
able taxes, $50: intangible property.
$lOO0.0 .000; insurance taxes, $175.000;
penalties and interest on all taxes,
$4,000.
whether the new tax rate Of $l.s5
is to continue for another fiscal year,
however. depends on what action Con-
gress takes this winter in regard to
the financial relations between the
federal and District governments.
The rate of $1.95 was made neces.
sary by the action Of the last Con.
gress in setting aside the fifty-fifty
plan of appropriating for the National
Capital and providing that the Dis.
trict shall pay 60 per cent of this
Yea "a expenses and the United States