Evening star., 1937-01-22
WEST PROPOSES
MONEY SEIZURES
FOR BACK TAXES
Attachment of Rents and
Bank Accounts Urged
for DeIinquents.
D. c. HEADS Committee
STUDIES PLANS MONDAY
Recommendations on Personal
Property Levies to Be Submitted
to Subcommittee First.

Attachment of rents and bank ac-
counts, and direct action against real
estate, as means of forcing payment
Of personal property taxes were
recommended today by Vernon E.
West. assistant corporation counsel.
These and other drastic steps to
improve the Districts tax collection
procedure will be considered Monday
at q meeting of the Commissioners
Tax Delinquency Committee West is
chairman Of the subcommittee on
legislative questions involved in the
program.
Another subcommittee, headed by
Rufus S. Lusk of the Washington
Taxpayers Association. already has
recommended to the full committee
adoption Of plans for modernization
and mechaniZation of the tax billing
and collection systems.
Vests Committee has not yet acted
as a body on the proposals, which
were drafted by West and distributed
to other members of his group today
This was done after a number of
conferences on the suggested steps.
II the other members voice no objec-
tions, the draft will go to the full
committee Monday, at the call of
Auditor Daniel j. Donovan, the gen.
eral chairman.
Amendment Proposed.
One of Vests recommendations calls
for an amendment to permit the Dis
trict to- proceed directly against real
estate. to force payment of delinquent
personal taxes, without having first
to proceed against the property own
er's goods and chattels, as now re-
qulred.
A second proposed step would per-
NIT the District government to pro-
ceed against the bank accounts oi
property owners to force payment oi
delinquent personal property taxes
or to attach rents being received By
the property owner from real estate
holdings.
West has suggested to his committee
also that no step be taken as yet tl
amend the law to eliminate profes-
s1onal tax brokers from the bushes:
of buying "tax deeds" to real prop.
critics as part of the tax collector
machinery. He suggests that thai
proposal be withheld until the court.
have tested the Phipps act, amending
the District law, which permits tht
District to apply to court, after two
years. for actual auction sale of rea
estate for payment of delinquent
realty taxes.
Bar to Brokers Urged.
Some members of the committee
have been demanding that the pro.
fessional tax brokers' be barred from
the annual sales, leaving the District
the only agency to buy in" propertie:
for non-payment of levies. Member.
system, holding it permits professional
brokers to 'gouge" delinquent prop.
erty owners after a two-year period.
West also suggests that the District
be permitted by Congress to charge
the delinquent real property owner.
IL per cent penalty interest after the
District buys in" the property Il
force tax payments. When the Dis.
trict takes tax deeds" it charges 6
penalty interest of but per cent
whereas the tax broker charges II pei
cent.
Members Of Vests committee art
Harold E. Doyle, representing tht
Washington Real Estate Board
Thomas E. Lodge, president of tht
Federation of Citizens Associations
Tax Collector Chatham M. Towers anc
Auditor Donovan.