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

BY JOHN w. THOMPSON, Jr.
District officials, probing deep in
to the past, have collected more
than 100000 in delinquent taxes
and interest penalties-some 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.
P1lkerton, 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 Cut.
Armed with authority by an act
of 1888 allowing it to cut or waive
interest penalties, the committee
has collected since then 5000 55294
in delinquent real estate taxes and
s73, ,199.41 in back interest, Mr.. Dent
disclosed. Another $312,044 40 with
an additional $59,2l687 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 Ia
per cent 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.
In 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 S372 057, 1886.
OF this amount all but about $780,
600 has been collected, Mr.. Dent
said, giving the District better than
SO 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 1888 law authorizes
lenlency 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-
| ness privilege taxes and the like,
bringing its total collections since
1888 to s2,365, ,429. 1t deals only
with the property owners or duly
authorized representatives to pre-
vent spectators from profiting 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
at low figure" Mr.. Dent explained.
There are said to be some $500
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
it will be held this winter and
properties which should have gone
on the block last year will be in
| cluded.