Evening star., 1945-10-21
District Collects
100000 in
Overdue Taxes
Collectors Probe
As Far Back as 1880
For Delinquent Levies
By JOHN w. THOMPSON, Jr

Dt JOnN W. 1nOMI oON, Or.
District officials. probing deep in
to the past, have collected more
than $2,000,000 in delinquent. taxes
and interest penalties-sorne Of
them due since 1880-it was learned
yesterday.
The action has had the double
barreled effect of collecting the
back levies and also of placing the
properties once more upon the
current tax rolls.
A three-man committee headed
by Assistant Corporation Counsel
Stanley De Neale, and including
Assessor Ed Dent and Auditor A. r.
Pilkerton, is continuing the attack
against delinquents in an effort to
squeeze into District Golfers every
available cent of revenue to meet
the mounting expenses.
Interest May Be Gut.
Armed with authority by an act
of 1888 allowing it to cut or waive
interest penalties, the committee
has collected since then 5000 ,552.9 "a
In delinquent real estate taxes and
S73 3,199.41 in back interest, Mr. Dent
disclosed. Another 1912 ,044.40 with
an additional $59,2l6.87 in interest
was brought in from special assess
ments against this property, such
as sewer and water, he added.
Under present tax law for real
property, penalty is assessed at IL
per cent a year, which in the case
of properties delinquent since the
turn of the century or before, has
often resulted in interest amounting
to more than the taxes due or even
to more than the value of the prop
erty, it was explained. Hence owners
were disinclined to settle up and no
one would buy the property with
such obligations attached.
Our committee considers what is
due the District against the value
of the property" the assessor said
I'm the majority of cases the in
terest is cut in half"
No Taxes Forgiven.
From 1877 to 1885 District tax
payers should have paid on their
real property total of 1912 2,057 1886.
Of this amount all but about $780,
900 has been collected, Mr.. Dent
said, giving the District better than
80 per cent collections. In the past
decade there have also been annual
delinquencies, he continued, but the
committee is working on these also
so that the yearly average collection
is still above SO per cent.
While the 1898 law authorizes
leniency on interest, no taxes have
been or can be forgiven, it was
stated.
The De Neale committee activities
also embrace back collections of
! personal property levies, old busi-
J ness privilege taxes and the like,
bringing it's total collections since
1888 to S2,365, ,429. 1t deals only
with the property owners or duly
authorized representatives to pre-
vent spectators from prof1ting by
Its actions.
January Auctions Probable.
"We don't want some speculator
coming in, finding out what the
committee will forgive on a piece
of property and then going to the
owner with an offer to take the
tax-burdened property off his hands
ut low figure" Mr.. Dent explained
There are said to be some 2,50O
delinquent properties outstanding
which, if not settled, probably will
be put up for auction in January
The sale. generally an annual affair
was not held last year because local
newspapers were unable to carry the
advertisements, Mr.. Dent said
There are indications, however, that
1t will be held this winter ano
properties which should have gone
on the block last year will be in.
! clUdad