Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1934-04-19
TAXES
ON HOMESTEAD
Supreme Court Upholds Act
Passed by the 1888 State
Legislature.
Hailed as Victory for Pro-
gressives and Office of
Attorney General.

Another victory for the home own
ers of the state of Minnesota has been
scored The law passed in the reg
ular 1888 session Of the Minnesota
Legislature lowering assessed values
on homesteads has gone the course
preme Court.
Attorney General Harry H. Peter
sons able assistant, VIM. S. Erwin,
former county attorney of Pine county,
together with the general followed
the law through all it's qualifications.
Other real estate aside from home
steads and the value of homesteads
above $4,000 will be assessed for tax
alton purposes as before, the purpose
of the law being only to lower taxes
on hOmesteads.
The mill rate for taxation will
likely be raised a little in commun-
tiles where the bulk of the property
consists of farms and homes. The
mill rate will have to be raised to
the extent that the decreased total
amount of revenue if the same rev.
enue is required In communities
where there are many business places,
mines, and other real estate that
maintain the same assessed values
as before homesteads will benefit the
greatest from the lower assessments.
Homesteads will all benefit on county
and state taxes.
Supreme Court Upholds Law.
Last Friday the Minnesota Supreme
Court upheld the constitutionality of
the 1888 law which provides for a
lower taxable valuation on the first
$4,000 of the actual value of real
estate, used for homestead purposes,
than on other real property. The
test cases were appealed from the
Hennepin and Ramsey county district
court, whose rulings were upheld in
a unanimous decision written by JUS
tice Clifford L. Hilton.
The law cuts the taxable valua-
ton on homesteads from the prev
urban communities and from 33 1-3
to 90 per cent in rural communities.
effective up to the first $4,000 of full
and true value.
The test suits were filed by the
Apartment Operators association of
Minneapolis and A. w. Logan of St.
Paul. They claimed the law violated
state and federal constitutions by
setting up unequal classifications Of
property for tax purposes.
Under the law, a home owner in
a city or village will pay taxes on
% per cent of the full and true
value of his home, up to the $4,000.
and on 40 per cent above the $4,000.
The farm home owner will pay on
a 20 per cent basis. The law will
property for taxes to be paid in 1885.
Only those occupying hOmesteads
May 1 can qualify as owners eligible
for the reduced assessments for the
next two years.
In commenting upon the decision of
stitutionality of the law reducing
taxes on homes, Attorney General
Harry H. Peterson said:
Attorney Generals Statement.
1.-THE people of the state of Min
nesota have won an outstanding and
far reaching victory. Not only does
this decision render effective a law
which will lessen the crushing bur-
den of taxation now borne by the
home owners of this state, but it es-
tablishes legal principles which will
enable the state to adjust it's taxing
system so as to give them further
and additional relief.
1.-THE assessments for this year will
be made under the new law, and the
tax reduction on homes thus brought
about will become effective as to the
taxes payable in 1885.
1T is good public policy to en-
courage people to own and remain
in possession of their own homes. The
state is founded upon the home. A
wide distribution of the ownership
of homes is essential to the existence
of happy and prosperous common
wealth. Because of the severity Of
this economic depression thousands
of our people are in danger of losing
their homes through mortgage and
tax Indebtedness. Therefore, the en-
actment of this law which has just
been upheld by the Supreme Court
was timely and necessary and we re-
joice that it can now be put into i'm
mediate OppratiOn"