Evening star., 1941-11-16
Officials Order
Tax on Casualty
Hospital
list Of New Levies
includes Four
Other Properties

Casualty Hospital and its nurses
home are among five properties
having an assessed value of more
than 1881 900 which were ordered
placed on the real estate tax rolls
yesterday by the Commissioners. in
approving recommendation from
the special board headed by District
Budget Director Walter L. Fowler.
AS they had done previously in
Ehe case OF other privately operated
hospitals, the city heads held that
Casualty was not purely public
charity" in that fees were charged
Tor services. and therefore was not
properly tax exempt.
The hospital buildings have been
exempt for 40 years or more, the
commissioners were told. The
board reported that for the fiscal
Tear 1910 the hospital made a net
profit Of $64,9l4. The hospital
properties are valued at more than
e271,0
Tax on Home for Aged.
In another case the Commission
ers ordered realty taxes levied
against the the home for aged and
INDECENT Odd Fellows and Rebekahs
over 65 years old having no rela-
tives who can care for them, in the
institution at 3231-3233 N street
NV. having an assessed value of
e14.2l3. This was in keeping with
earlier rulings that purely public
charity is not confined to special
groups but to the Indefinite public.
Admission to the home is restricted
to aff1liates of the order.
In this case. the board added: 1T
may be that homes of this charac-
ter should be exempt from real
estate taxes, as they undoubtedly
are doing a very good work, and
relieve to some extent the burden
OF the municipality, and when the
subject OF legislation is taken up.
consideration should be given to
the home of this character"
Taxes will be levied against the
residence of the bishop for the
washington area of the Methodist
Church, at 2l07 wyoming avenue
NV, having an assessed value of
s32 900.
The Fowler board held that
the law clearly intended that each
church having a separate official
membership was entitled to tax
exemption for a residence for its
of1iciating minister, but it held that
q bishops residence was not in this
class but one for a church official
having supervision over all pastors
OF q particular denomination. In
addition. it was reported the par
tlcular house currently had been
advertised for sale.
Church Property Put on Rolls.
In another case, taxes were or
oered Tor property of the Covenant
Flrst Presbyterian Church at Con-
necticut avenue and N street NV
the old Church of the Covenant
now offered for sale following the
church merger. The assessed value
OF the church property ordered onto
the tax rolls was placed at $38 8648
For the purposes of the record.
the Commissioners noted that prop
erty assessed to the vestry of St.
Johns parish of the Protestant
Episcopal Diocese OF Washington.
formerly used as a parsonage, had
been sold and restored to the tax
rolls. 1t was at 3O09 Whitehayen
street NV. assessed at s24,323.
Rulings In Four Cases Upheld.
AT the same time. the Commits
sloners on recommendation by Cor
poratlon Counsel Richmond B.
keech upheld rulings in four cases
which they previously had held
subject to taxation, in acting on
appeals. These cases we're:
Property owned by the Y. M. C. A..
adjacent to its main building. at
Eighteenth and G streets NV, Or
dered taxed for that portion which
1t rented:
A lot owned by the Fifth Bap-
tlst Church, which is rented and
not occupied as a residence of the
church pastor;
The HoSpice Association of the
Eastern District of the Walther
League, Inc, restored to the tax
rolls because rental charges were
made and because its use was linn
lted primarily to Lutherans; and
A parking lot owned by the Com
munlty Chest for which charges
were made for its use by Chest
employees.