Evening star., 1924-07-19
Assessors Efforts to Preuent
Property Rating Errors Sho,on
Many Sources of Information Dra,vn
Upon in Work Vitally affecting.
All Real Estate.

No other department of the District
government, at least so far as real
estate owners are concerned, is more
important than the assessors office.
The decisions of that office vitality
concern every builder, householder,
property owner and realty investor
in the National Capital
Many persons know that their
houses or properties are assessed at
so and So; some are pleased, some
are not, but of these two classes few
know the trouble. methods and
Just how it's done" of the assessors
Office. Assessor Richards, in an cpl
tome of this work in the District,
explains as follows:
The assessments of both real estate
ana personal property are made by
the assessor and a board of six
assistant assessors. Being concerned
chiefly with real estate in this
article, it is sufficient to say that
three of these assistants are en-
ployed in the real estate activities of
the offlce. The assessor and six as
slStantS constitute a board of review
and equalization of real estate as
sesSments.
Corps of Sixty Clerks.
In addition to the assessor and his
assistants. the office has a corps of
sixty clerks. The real estate asses
sors are aided by five field men, who
Sather data as to rents and sales of
real estate, and as to size condition
and character of improvements Five
ONCE clerks prepare the field books
IN which are shown the individual
Iots. These books are kept strictly
up to date is to new buildings. i'm
provementS, etc.
The record division. for corresnond-
ehce cards. maps and ledgers, is under
the care of an office assistant asses
sor and chief clerk. Here three
craftsmen prepare various maps used
IN assessing, ard two clerks are at
the off1ce of land records and furnish
a daily transcript Of all real estate
transfers. Twelve CLERKS cake care of
100000
Twenty-six ledsrrs sre v rltten -
year by the assessors office. giving
ABOUT 100000 names. These are for
Warded to the collector OF taxes and
become permanent accounts with that
Office.
Property Assessed BienniaIIy.
Real estate is assessed bieniallv at
NOT less than Its full and true va lue"
by the board of three assistant asses
Sors. After being approved by the
board OF equalization and review il
becomes effective. This board sits
from The first Monday in January
unsil the first Monday in June in each
ocd-numhered year. The field work
Tor assessments is begun in an even
numbered year, such as this wear
1879. and after review the results
become effective the July of the odd
numbered year. 1925. The board also
SITS from the first [" he third Mon
day IN July to consider appenls on
new buildings and additions.
tnder requirement Of the law there
IS ADDED t. the ass SSTent roll at
ne beginning of each fiscal year a
list of proner'y which is erected or
under roof prior to July !. and ar
the same time there IS taken from
ne roll any property destroyed or
In order to determine with GER
tainty the locations and sizes Of these
properties Transcripts are ta'-"u from
an PERMITS IN the office OF the build
ing inspector. These tranScrfprS car
~ the number Of the house. the
square and lot dimensions. character