The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-04-05
Certificate Of Assessed Value
Required Before Person
Can Go on Bond

Nf4NNe 81 ~
cotnty officers have discovered
4 new way q ascertaining the true
and actual value Of property in the
county andyasa result a number OF
persons signing bonds at the court.
house are tablet to have an increase
in their taxes; It was stated By
County Clerk Lee N. satterfleld to.
day. Under recent instructions
from the office Of the state Tax
Commissioner ali property in the
county must be assessed as its
true and actual value. The result
Of this ruling means a great in.
crease IN the taxable values in the
county and, many pieces Of real
estate that have been on the land
books az d low valuation are being
increased many times their former
taxable value.
10 human nature for a taS
paYeF To- keep quiet when he finds
that his property Is assessed at less
that It's value" said a county OF.
ncefs but when the said tax payer
IS 70 getsa friend out OF jail he for.
gets about this fact and readily
tells the true and actual value OF
his property
This has occurred many times
within the last few weeks in the
office or Clerk Satterfield. A new
legal requirement In connection
with the releasing Of prisoners on
hond IS that the surety on the bond
must first obtain a certificate from
the county clerk showing the az.
sessed value Of his property. as re.
eorded on the land books In his OF.
A few days ago a prominent 10.
~ attorney entered the clerks
Office with a foreigner who wanted
10 90 on the bond OF one OF HIS
tdelas who was in trouble. The
clerk askedtthe man II his property
WAS worth the amount OF the bond
which was $1,000 and he said yes.
The clerk looked the property Ut
on the land book and found that IL
vas assessed at $3.50. The lawyer
LETT the office and returned In a
short time with another foreigner.
When asked II his property was
worth thearequired $1,000 he said
guess 50, I paid S2,250 for It."
The clerk got down the land book
again and found that the property
was valued at $500 when assessed
for 1921. The attorney left the
clerks Office in disgust but when
he returned the third time he had
D man whose property was assessed
at more than the required amount
and his client was released from
This Is only one instance Of the
MANY cases that Is coming up daily
the office of the county clerk
and q little cooperation between
his office and that Of the county
assessor will make the work OF the
assessor a little easier to get the
true and actual value OF a number
ptpieces Of property In the county
Another example OF the manner
that property Is undervalued was
hrpIght to light when a we'll known
resident of the city went on a
MANS bond for $1,000 and the Ger.
tifieate showed that in 1921 his
home which is one OF the best on
one Of the leading residential
streets in the city was assessed at
only $500. A real estate man
wen asked tho value OF the home
nd Il would not be bought for
$4,000.
Glenn Springer. county assessor,
taking note Of oil these little
things that are popping up in the
CLERKS office and when the land
books are completed for 1922 a
number Of tax payers will wonder
how taxable value Of their property
was boosted to 20 near a value
that they themselves had placed
ontheir property.
Men IN London subway trains