Evening star., 1952-11-28
HoIileowners Hit
Redssessments
BrookduIe Residents
Aneered by State
Officials Statement

Residents of the Brookdale SUBJ
division have assailed Maryland
Tax Commission officials state
ment on policy followed in re-
assessing urban Montgomery
County real estate.
Thomas j. Flavin, of 1900 Dover
road. Brookdale, released a copy
Of letter sent by the Brookdale
citizens to the County Council.
The letter referred to a council
meeting Tuesday at which Albert
w. Ward. secretary of the State
Tax Commission, spoke.
Far from clarifying the assess
ment problem and placating the
outraged citizenry, Mr.. Wards
statements leave us, at least, more
bewildered. more frustrated and
more embittered than ever" the
letter asserts.
The Brookdale residents are
among hundreds in urban Mont
gomery who have protested
reaSsessment of real estate which
has doubled tax assessments on
many homes. The County Council
has been bombarded with COM
plants and requests to seek q
lowering of the new assessments.
The reassessment is continuing
under Wilton T. Allen, Mont
gomery supervisor of assessments.
Appeal Is Pending.
The Brookdale Citizens Associa.
tion, Inc. appealed the reassess-
ments imposed on the 1O9 homes
in its community. The County Tax
Appeals Court heard the case Oc-
tober Is but has not yet decided
the appeal.
The letter charges that as a
result of Mr.. Wards statements.
I'VE can conclude now that our
statutory rights are illusory, that
Mr.. Ward is the State Tax Com
mission and that our case has
been judged before it started"
THE only reason advanced by
MIR. Ward as to why the reassess-
ment level for Montgomery County
canont be any lower than that
recommended by Mr.. Allen is that
Montgomery County's reassess-
mentS would be at a lower ratio
OF assessments to sales prices than
lis true for other countless" the
letter asserts.
But the Brookdale group argues
there is nothing in the State law
that would prohibit reduction IN
the reassessment levels. Such a
reduction is justifiable because of
the heavy impact of initiation in
the real estate market in Mont
gomery. This factor is nov as
prevalent in other Maryland toun-
ties, it is argued.
Earlier Statement Cited.
The letter cites an earlier state
ment by Mr.. Ward in a letter to
Mr.. Flavin dated October 2. Mr..
Ward is quoted as saying that the
county assessor makes what in
his opinion is a fair allowance" for
Iabnormalities and inflationary in
lf1uences in determining new as
easements. This statement reflects
a different policy than that ex-
lplained Tuesday in which the ratio
of assessments to sales prices is
to be maintained between all coun-
ties, the letter charges.
"Since the assessing authority
for Montgomery County has au-
thority from the State Tax Com
mission to determine what is fair
allowance we ask that the
county government determine
what such allowances should be
and not be blackjacked into con-
formity with an average ratio for
the State which makes no allow
ance for the degree of abnormality
present in Montgomery County,"
the Brookdale group declared.
"We urge that the county gov.
ernment assert the rights Of its
citizens and through its Appeal
Tax Court reduce the level of the
current reassessments." the let
ter concluded.