The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1950-04-14
taxes in full. No discount. no
rebate. nothing cancelled.

taxes in full. No discount. no
rebate. nothing cancelled.
The request for abatement of
taxes was made by Rev. Vim.
Lyle, on December 6, l949. The
Commission was more than will
ing to have the church acquire
the land, but thought it unfair to
abate the taxes. All five present
commissioners agreed that. it
was unfair to cancel the Gold
stein taxes. and they voted unani-
mously to have City Attorney M.
IgnatiuS Lester start the fore
closure suit
In 1916. the VIM. Curry Sons
tax certificates was bought by
the city. Two years later in l948,
the city had the privilege to
foreclose. Did they do so?
No, nothing was done. Had the
city started a foreclosure suit
against the owners of the VIM.
Curry Sons land, it is certain
that they would have paid in full
For the land sold that year for
$75, 900, some 400 percent more
than the delinquent taxes which
had accumulated for ten years.
Where does the city now
stand?
The city can treat the VIM.
Curry Sons owners just like any
other tax delinquents. Send them
bill for S5,682.95. If they fail to
pay, push foreclosure suit on
them, 1t was done in the Gold
stein case.
Last blanket reduction to tax
payers was in 1886 when a so
percent cancellation was given.
But this was handed out not to
one firm, but to all
If the city persists in giving
30 percent to all tax delinquents,
it will lose countless more thous-
ands of dollars that are needed
in this years budget.
The whole tax structure of the
city is tottering. The people are
in revolt. Threats of a no-pay
strike, and of recall are like
wise mentioned.
The problem is simple. Don't
only foreclose on the Goldsteins,
but on the VIM Curry Sons Co..
and all other delinQuentS.
Taxpayers do not deserve this
slap in the face. Furthermore
they may slap back!
One of the arguments used by
Commissioners Adams in stating
that the assessment was unfair,
was that Curry Sons property
had jumped from $4,000 in 1910
to $4,000 in l941.
This jump was reflected not
only in the Curry Sons property
but in all other properties like
wise. Here's the reason for it.
In 1910. tax assessments were
about 25 percent of real value.
A law passed by the State Legis-
lature in June, 1941, not only for
Key West but for all of Florida,
required a 100 percent assess
ment figure. So the land was
raised four times higher, as was
all other property.
Another complaint made was
that the property was raised from
S48, 900 to $4,000 in 1916. Reason
/ for this is that it was found out
that Curry Sons had 1875 feet
more on Front street than the
plat book showed on the Monroe
County books.
In 1916 City Tax Assessor Fred
j. Dion placed all assessments in
the city the same as in the
| county. To date, until the VIM.
Curry Sons lands were singled
out, no property in Key West
differs from the assessment roll
in the county.
Monroe County Tax Collector
Claude Gandolfo has since 1916
given the city a tax roll that they
may copy at no cost whatsoever.
He did it as a sort of civic duty,
without getting any renumera-
ton.
This year again he has agreed
to get the roll out for the city
with the understanding that John
England, tax assessor, be grant
ed a leave of absence until the
elections are over.
But VIXEN the roll comes over
to the city, it will show one
piece of property different than
the county. Which piece is that?
The William Curry Sons land
at the corner of Front and Simon
ton streets