The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-12-05
NO CHANCE FOR
GETTING TAXES
ONU.S. HOUSES


People Of Rock Island. Moline and
East Moline who have purchaser
government built homes. have won
out through the efforts or the Unit
ed States Housing corporation
against payment of any county spe..
cial taxes, general taxes or speciai
assessments.
A permanent injunction has been
issued against county officials that
no collections can be made as long
aa the United States government
holds interest in the properties
through title. mortgage or other-
IA decision OF the federal
court. handed down by Judge Louis
Fitzhenry at Peoria, is sweeping.
The permanent injunction ONE
primarily through the county al
lowing its case to go by default.
Walter J. Griffin, operating rep
resentatiye for the United States
Housing corporation in Rock Is
land, has Just received copy OF the
injunction.
The motion of the county to have
the temporary injunction dissolved
was denied on July q, and an
order was entered against the u
ty to plead or answer to the cause
within 10 days.
County Defaults.
The county. defaulted, but the
COPY of the permanent injunction
shows that final decision was not
handed down until Oct. "a. The de-
cision permanently enjoins George
II. Richmond, county treasurer,
and Harry B. Hubbard, county clerk
from making any effort to collect
the 1919, 1920 or 1921 general taxes,
any special axe or special S
ments, and they ere thus enjoined
as long as the United States holds
title, mortgage or any interest
Otherwise in the properties built by
the United States Housing corpora
ton.
The injunction is ven more
sweeping than it was at any time
conceived, by local officials. Prac-
tically every deed has been turned
over to the purchasers, and it was
thought that taxes could be COL
lected in 1922, at least, even if TIE
properties were not paid for.
The injunction, however, makes
1t plain that as long as the govern
ment holds mortgage on the prop
critics no taxes can be collected
and assessors are enjoined from
assessing the properties for the
purpose of tax computations, and
county officials are enjoined from
turning over any tax deeds to puc-
chasers of delinquent accounts,
thus fully protecting government
. home buyers from having their
n properties sold for taxes after re-
, dusing to pay such tax.
Even Wider Meaning.
The injunction has even a wider
meaning The city of Rock IsIaEt
has twice collected sums of none
from the corporation in lieu OF city
taxes This was done through con
tract entered into before the houses
were built, but whether the cor
poration will keep on paying these
amounts as long as it holds inter.
est in the properties is a question
and the city is now seriously inter
ested IN the problem of whether OF
nos It can collect the special as.
seSS1nents on pavement, sewer and
NG%A a III LAOGA 1SldnU IueEE
total approximately $50, 1000, and
can be paid yer a period of IL
years
Congressman ". J. Graham has
been making an effort to have the
United States congress pass a bill
allowing the lump payment of such
special assessments in every CITY
where government houses were
built during the war.
Purchasers Escape Again.
II such a move is unsuccessful
the buyers of the government
homes have a loophole through
which they probably can escape
payments.
The injunction handed by the fed
eral court at Peoria says that the
county officials can not collect
among other things-special as
sessments.
such assessments are payable to
h city clerk, but If they are not
paid, the city clerk has no recourse
other than to mark such accounts
delinquent and turn the books over
10 the country treasurer for the
collection of the amounts. The
county treasurer is enjoined from
making any such collections, ac-
cordtng to certain constructions
placed upon the wording of the in