Evening star., 1922-03-12
SEES NO NEED NOW.
: FOR TAX SALELAW
Commissioner Rudolph Be-
lieves Present Plan Is
Better Than Proposals.
TWO OR THREE BID MOST
Make It a Business to Buy in Prop
erty Often Later Redeemed
by Owner.

by Owner.
There is no necessity for a new law
to govern the sale of property for
non-payment of taxes in the District,
in the opinion of Commissioner Ru-
dolph, chairman of the board of Com
missioners.
The opening of the annual tax sale
at the District building Tuesday
morning has revived discussion of
the question of whether the existing
tax law should be changed.
Commissioner Rudolph, who super
vises all tax matters, declared last
night that he does not believe the
present law under which property
is sold at auction every March should
be revised.
Several Make 1t n Business.
At the annual tax sale private in
dividuals come forward and pay the
taxes due on delinquent property and
receive from the collector tax GER
tidcate. Although twenty or thirty
persons may attend the sale. most of
the bidding is done by two OF three
men who make a business OF dealing
in such property.
1ASSc are required Dy
law to hold the certificates two years,
during which time the original own
ers of the property in question have
the privilege of redeeming by paying,
through the collectors Office. the taxes
due. plus the penalty of II per cent
year which has accumulated.
Deed After Tive Years.
II at the end of the two years such
resumption has not been made, the
holders of the tax sale certificates
have the right to apply to the Com
mlsSionerS for tax deed.
After such a deed has been issued
against the property the original own
er must come to terms with the hold
er of the deed paying the taxes due,
the penalty of II per cent a year and
whatever additional sum the holder
of the deed demands for a settlement.
According to Collector of Taxes
Chatham NJ. Towers. the holder Of the
tax deed. in restoring clear title to
the original owner, never asks more
than it would cost the original owner
to take the case into court for ad-
judication. These tax deeds repre-
sent g. cloud on the title of the prop
erty against which they are issued
and sooner or later must be paid of.
See More Trouble.
The suggestion has been made to
former Commissioners that instead of
selling the property to outside in
dividuals when taxes are not paid,
crease the present penalty of IL per
cont a year.
Both Commissioner Rudolph and
Collector Towers are of the opinion,
however. that the District would have
much more trouble in collecting de-
linquent taxes under that scheme
than under the present arrangement.
Mr.. Rudolph said it is a real ad-
vantage to the District to have these
outside individuals come in every
property owners. The chairman of
the board Of Commissioners said he
does not believe those citizens who
fail to pay their taxes now would do
penalty and the knowledge that the
city was holding their property.
Thirty-six Bidders Last Year.
1inquents do settle up when they dis
cover that private individual has
paid the taxes and obtained q deed
to their land.
Last year there were thirty-six bid
ders at the tax sale. AS result Of
the sale, s155,291-s4 of delinquent
taxes on 3.433 parcels of real estate
was paid in by the bidders,
One argument against the present
system is the fact that the persons
best parcels offered for sale. lea7ing
about half of the delinquent property
on the hands of the District despite
the holding Of the sale.
1900 Parcels to Go ON Block.
For this years sale there are $4,000
parcels Of real estate to be put on the
block. representing $500, eco. Although
the collectors Office makes every ef-
fort to communicate with the delin-
quents before the sale, it is difficult
for the tax Office to keep 8 correct list
OF property owners addresses.
As q result there are many pieces
OF property listed for sale this week
the owners of which have probably
forgotten that they did not pay their
1921 taxes. If the collector has the
address of a delinquent he sends him
a notice before the sale. If his ad-
dress Is not known to the tax office
he does not receive a notice.
Property Changing Hands.
During the past four or five years.
when property has been changing
It has been almost impossible for the
tax office to keep an up-to-date reg
lister. There are frequent cases in
which one piece of property has
changed hands four and five times in
one year, leaving the collector in a
quandary as to where to send the no
tice of taxes due.
Cases in which one person owns
many parcels Of land also complicate
the task of sending notices. for the
collector has no way OF telling to
which piece Of property the owners
notice should be sent.