Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-01-20

Iotal sinking Fund
Net bonded Deb
Sinking fund deposited annual,
Bonds to be retired during 1922. 81
Grammar School Bonds maturing Jun
smith IL Lincoln School Bonds Matur
kennebec Bridge Bonds Maturing 10
Hartford Fire station Bonds Maturing
TAX TITLES
For more than a year our Office has
been investigating tax titles. many Of
which 20 back over a period Of more
than IS years. Our efforts have been
directed toward ascertaining what
amount of the total tax deeds carried
upon the City's books are worth their
face value as assets. This has in
volved the long and tedious process Of
tracing each piece of property upon
which deeds for unpaid taxes stand,
from the date that the various deeds
have been applied. down to the present
error. taxes had been assessed upon
the same property to different persons.
The rightful owner paid. and the per-
son against whom duplicate assess
ment had been levied did not. with the
result that the property was sold for
taxes. Later the error was discov-
cred and the duplicate assessment
discontinued, yet no steps had appdr-
entity been taken to charge off from
the books the tax deed carried as an
asset. which in reality was worthless.
Again we found where assessments
were made over a period of many
years against pieces of property, and
then discontinued without any entry
no notation of any transfer io otntr
ply typical of many found upon the
books as thu work progressed.
AZ a result of our Investigations we
presented to the City Council in Dc
against which were tax deeds amount
ing to more than $4,000 in all. The
Council very wisely abated the full
list. thus making start in the right
isheo. and will probably require year
or more longer. as the greater part Of
tho work must Of necessity be done
after once hours. But when comple:-
ed IT will enable the Treasurers O.
fee to furnish for the use of the public
tax deed record of incstimab'e value:
A cross Ming card index system Will
give under one classification the name
OF persons against whom the neeas
stand. Under another head Will DC
listed cards bearing the name OF the
present owner OF The property. while
another group will list the property
by streets and roads, thus making II
possihle for the office to furnish very
quickly the mi formation as 10 WHetHei
or no any tax title stands against any
piece of property in the city. The IN.
staIlation of this system has not cost
tho city one cent to date. and any ~.
ture expense will be very trivial; II
any. When the work is completed II
will doubtless be found that many or
the remaining tax deeds are worthless;
in which event tho City Council Will
in ali probability abate them. Having
established the validity Of the balance,
the city can proceed to collect the
same.
tate in Augusta will avail himself OF
the information, in file at the Treas as
transfer of property. there viii; be no
further excuse for owning a home m
numbered with tax deeds, for our Of
iice will gladly perform the extra work
involved for the public good. Thus
three important objects will have been
accomplished: First. the. property
purcha scr will be protected; second,
thousands Of dollars will be saved the
CITY through the settlement OF tax
deeds; third the citys books will show
genuine value rather than inflated as
sets.