Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-09-05
SCHOOL SITE TASK
LAID TO PRICE RISE
When Property Is Assessed
Under New Law, Richards
Sees Problem Solved.

With the Commissioners preparing
to lay before Congress in December
the difficulties they have encountered
in trying to buy school sites within
the price limitation of % per cent
above assessed value, District As
SCISSOR Richards yesterday outlined
some of the reasons why it is hard
to acquire property for public pur-
poses on the basis of tax assess
ments.
Assessments for the purpose of
taxation are based on sales between
a willing buyer and willing seller,
whereas in condemning property for
any public purpose you have case
in which man is forced to sell and
the city is forced to buy"
Under the law as it existed prior to
the last session of Congress prop
erty in the District was assessed
every two years. Prior to the war.
Mr.. Richards said. values did not
fluctuate much within year or two.
but since the war the fluctuations in
have been great.
Examples of Price Changes.
The assessor cited one piece of prop
erty that brought $4,000 in 1919 and
sold again in 1923 for $4,000. In
another instance, he said. a property
sold in 1920 for 100000 and four
years later it changed hands for
5000, 900.
AS an illustration of how small
properties have fluctuated also, he
cited a sale made in 1923 for $500,
while the same property brought
$14.600 in 1924.
Congress. at the last session. pro-
vided for annual assessments in fu-
ture, but in explaining the task that
has faced the Commissioners in try
ing to acquire school sites this Sum-
mer, under the restriction of 25 per
cent above assessed value. Col. Bell
pointed out that the last biennial as
sessment was in 1924.
The Commissioners were able since
Congress adjourned to acquire land
for the new TenleytOwn police sta
ton within the Is per cent limitation.
but they have found it impossible to
get any of the school sites within the
restriction.
In one case they would have been
able to buy one lot that formed part
of a site within the limitation. but
since they could not get the adjoining
parcels. they decided it was unwise
to acquire " small portion of the
entire site.
Get Data for Congress.
The city heads are keeping records
of the prices that have been quoted
on land prices they sought to acquire
for school purposes. together with the
assessed values of those properties.
with the intention of presenting the
data to Congress in December.
In a pamphlet which he has pre-
pared on the general subject of as
sessments. Mr. Richards touches on
the question of acquiring land for
public purposes. and quotes for
mer Senator as stating on one occo-
sion that, in the acquiring Of prop
erty for public use, the citizen is
forced to give up his property
whether he wants to or not. He added
that 1.-The theory is that they want to
err on the right side in compensating
him when they force him to give up
his property
Assessor Richards pointed out that
before all juries or commissions of
condemnation testimony is presented
by experts in land or building values,
and instead of the testimony being
close as to value, there is great
diversity in the opinions offered.
In the Union Station Plaza con-
demnation, Mr.. Richards recalled, one