Evening star., 1946-04-07
DC. Real Estate Taxes
To Rise July |, 1947,
In New Assessment
By John w. Thompson, Jr.

A substantial number of Dis
trict property owners of all types
are going to have to pay higher
real estate taxes, beginning
July /, 1947.
This was disclosed yesterday by
Assessor Edward A. Dent, whose
board of assistant assessors is now
studying residential, apartment and
business properties to adjust as
sessments to the increase in values
of real estate and Improvements
which they believe has occurred.
The five-man board is to report
to Mr.. Dent this week on residen-
tial and apartment property and
the assessor hopes to have the new
valuations on the books by Janu-
ary /.
Under the law, property owners
have the period between the first
Monday in January and the first
Monday in April to appeal the as
sessment. A board of equalization
and review then hears the case and
decides it in time for the opening
of the new fiscal year.
Few May be Lowered.
Not all properties will be changed,
Mr.. Dent indicated, and few may
be lowered A substantial number
will be increased.
Assessors all over the country are
confronted with the problem of
determining the relationship of
present inflated selling values of
property to actual worth because
people are now buying housing"
not real estate"
But we believe, and I think as
SCISSORS of the country believe, there
has been an increase in real estate
values" he said
Mr.. Dent could not estimate at
this time what the total increase in
real estate taxes to the District
might amount to, but he pointed
out that an increase of a million
dollars in assessment brings in only
s17,500. At present the real estate
levy brings in about s24,000,0O0 an
nually.
Improvements to Be Affected.
While both land and improve
ments are due for increases in val
uation for tax purposes, Mr.. Dent
said improvements will be most af-
fected.
In 1945, privately owned property
in the city was worth 1922, ,250, 1852 of
which S35, ,612 was land value and
$86,500,740 was Improvements, At
present, the land value runs from
s cents square foot in some wood
ed areas east of the Anacostia River
to three corners on F street worth
$3.50 a square foot. These locations
are the northeast corner of Four
teenth and F, the northwest corner
of Thirteenth and F and the north
west corner of Eleventh and F
streets NV.
The average value is rs cents a
square foot as compared with 81
cents 10 years ago. During that
decade about $500 acres of property
was removed from taxation by Fed
eral Government acquisition and
private tax exempt agencies.
Comparisons Under Way.
Had there been no increase in
value with that occurring" Mr.. Dent
said, "I should have wanted to know
the reason why"
In the case of residential property
Mr.. Dents investigators are COM
pairing values of similar housing in
various sections of the city. In the
case of apartments they are group
ing them according to similarity
of type. Mr.. Dent estimated about
1900 apartment houses are under
scrutiny.
Business property probably will
see the least changes in assessments
Of any since long-term contracts
between owners and lessons have
tended to stabilize values and leave
Assessments fairly accurate.