Evening star., 1928-02-08
Title Ora athinr.

Cat-cf-town gentlemen and others
eneaged in the highly legitimate. if op-
rrohriously termed. business of title
grabbing" have purchased from the
District The titles 10 some nine thousand
lots upon which unpaid taxes have &C.
cuu.ula;ed for a year or more. The Dis
trict is richer by about six hundred
thousand dollars. The title srabbers'
are richer by at least one per cent a
month. or twelve Fer cent year. Of
this amount. The property owners are
poorer by the amount of their unpaid
taxes Plus penalties and expenses TO
redeem and clear their titles and have
suffered. as well, a loss Of self-respect
and the energy consumed III expression
O. indignant opinions concerning the
District authorities and the "grabberS'
OF their titles
Tie annual sale Of delinquent tax
payers property In the District is
pleasing 20 10 one outside the so-called
.rinx" of purchasers who make 1t
business TO invest money. at a good rate
Ct interest, in the carelessaess or the
penuriousness Of their fellow men. From
tine to time there are movements to
do something about" these rings But
what is there TO 90? One city tried the
experiment of barring oUt-ot-town
customers at tax sales, and then TN
pioyed them 10 return. Some cities SO
regularly anticipate revenue deficits
from delinquent taxes that they borrow
money In advance from the title grab
bers. The fact remains that taxes must
b. paid, and the municipality cannot
survive without them. Unpaid taxes IN
the District do not constitute serious
problem. But unless forcetul measures
were resorted to in the collection OF
taxes. they would constitute serious
problem indeed. The best OF good
citizens 90 not pay their taxes from
patriotic motives alone. They pay taxes
because they must.
There is a responsibility on the part
O. the municipality, however. to serve
its delinquent taxpayers with due
notice OF their delinquency and 70 warn
them Of their peril. This has not always
been done By the District. But this
year II was. A list Of some thirty thou
sand celinquents was compiled. and
notices were sent 10 each resident whose
address was available. There was an
immediate response in the payment OF
some ten thousand overdue taxes. Dur
ing the month Of December a list OF
twenty thousand de!!nsuents was adver-
tise5 in newspapers. But the reduction
.n this list was not great. as shown by
tag sales Just recorded. Although more
than rtne thousand lots we're sold. be-
tween six and eight thousand remain
C1soid.
There is pending before the Gibson
subcommittee GO the House District
committee q proposal which has been
advanced before. that the District be
empowered 10 obtain, through the
courts orders for forced sale Of proper
~ On which unpaid taxes have accanlu-
lated, the ssle 70 carry with II clear
t!t,e Bat this is no. 10 be construed as
relief from the little srabber" r!ng. II
is more drastic procedure than the
c.eSer; system.
Undoubtedly there are cases ot In
.tlst.ce under the current method,
where owners OF property sincere In
tae bile. that their taxes have been
paid Ard their title. IN alien hands.
Eut these are .n the minority. Only
csre.easness. or deliberate tax doc2ing.
(. responsible for the majority. Tne
easiest and simplest method ot escaping
tae "t!tie grabbers" is u pay taxes.