Evening Star Newspaper, April 6, 1929, Page 16

REAHURS ADUPT - NEWTAXSYSTEM, |8 OId Method of Assessment - Replaced by Hired Agents. < The old-fashioned assessor who tilted back his chair, chewed off the end of his pencil and, without venturing from his office, set property values for the rpme of taxation, is being moved comfortable - seat in cities g;wlhout the country, according to National Association of Real Estate o e u being replaced by alert young fen who pad up and down the streets measuring, figuring, com; and festing, and the old hit-and-guess method of making assessments, under which some taxes were fair and some Were not, is being supplanted by sci- entific methods that can be proven by any one who can add 2 and 2, the | aisocintion declares. Fifty thousand property owners in Chicaf® last year refustd to pay their faxes on the basis that thetr assess- Ments were unfair, and Chicago is now engaged in & vast re-assessment of all ptopert.y in the county at a cost that Wwill exceed a half million dollar. In Cleveland, Ohio, one of the first cmu install a scientific method of jerty assessment, only 20 complal lm‘.u before the Board of Review in e past 12 months. & But the situation in Chicago was so rious that the Chicago cluflngflouso iation, representing business in- {terests, raised a fund of $250,000 to re- ize the system of in k County, IIi. isessors did not have the funds with whxch to undertake this work, and the {business interests gave it to them, it is ireported. ‘( Discuss Unfair Assessments. * If enough people failed to pay their [taxes on the basis that assessments jwere unfair, a city could go broke, but ‘husinesslike methods of computing staxes will fill Government coffers and freduce taxe rates at the same time says Harry S. Cutmore, in charge of the frevaluation work for the Chicago area and author of the new permanent sys- tem there. “Under this system, which is similar %o the method used in Cleveland and ‘other progressive cities, any citizen with i pencil and paper can assess any prop- | < ferty anywhere,” says Mr. Cutmore, “and ‘this alone will silence much of the grumbling that has been heard from Frplexed property owners in the past.| n Cook County in the t, whether ‘assessments were high or low, "the prop- ‘erty owner did not have the léast idea thow the figure handed to him was com- jputed. Now he can not only figure his own assessment, but he can also figure hll neighbor’s. “The old depth rule has been discard- d and the Chicago system is predicated on a uniform standard unit foot, which Js a strip of land one foot wide and 125 Heet deep, located in the middle of an dmaginary block without corner or other dnfluence. Lots of greater or less depth #han the standard unit are graded ac- rding to a standard depth table and miform rates for calculating corner, flley or any other erhancing or de- tracting influences are provided. The Jresult will be that properties exactly alike in different parts of the city will ‘be treated precisely the same. H City Is Zone. #_“In the work in Chicago the city is \divided into 44 districts. Committees of real estate men enter on maps pro- ivided by the assessor values they be- Qleve are fair for land in the dl.mlct 'This is done on the assumption that such men, who have done business in ithese localities for many years, know more about the fair valuation of land than any one the city officials could iview the work of the real estate men {and probably approve the prlce they jestablish. Then these will be ipublished in pamphlet form md dis- Aributed in each district as tentative hx‘pa fgenerally will have the opportunit} Tevive and judge whether or not tI riee:h :xexnuom!y correct. gmw- ore the property owner wishing to com- his assessment with other assess- ents had to visit the assessor’s office d examine the tax rolls. “Now, after the publication and dis- tion of the tentative values, com- ints can be made at the assessor’s ice or at community meetin, lfifon nmx umt prices are establ! it is in the work of !\u ‘tm rovements,’ the bul!dlngs on the {jand, that has so greatly puzzled the an, and it is in this work that the phluzo system is so highly developed. 1F ot because it looks like the house iin which the assessor’s cousin lives in ‘eoria, but because it contains so many uare feet, because it cost so much to ul.ld and would cost so much more to Yeproduce today, because it can be ex- Yeeud to last so much longer or because it has a porch, it is worth exactly so uch now. i Employes Appraise Buildings. i "I:Sght hundred and fifty men are fraveling up and down the streets of Chicago examining with experienced i 'yes the millions of buildings that are &:‘ng reasse: ssed. These are men vhn N.W. “Sixteenth Street Heights” Inspect Sunday Must Be Sold $2,000 Under Original Sale. Price assessing The. Board of As. | tYPe. Large new apariment structure, corner of Tweniy-first street and Pennsyi- vania avenue, which has been sold by Morris Cafritz to a syndicate of local investors headed T J h H. Himes. thro hthcoflu?(l:::allll 'he consideration in the deal, handled & Co., was reported to be approximately $1, !n 000. The building was erected during lhe past year by the Cafritz Con- struction Co. six photographic examples of two-flat buildings, from very high-grade and elaborate structures to the most simple ype. ““Thepricer works on forms, coples of which are distributed to the Dubl He will stand before a p-rtlc\lhr buudin( verify the measurer’s work and then || to the class || price the building according in which it belongs. Then, based on simple rules that are fair to the extreme in favor of the property owner, the pricer applies all the fine shadings and gradings of construction, materials, use, location, environment and probable life that can make a difference of a dollar and a half in two houses that look alike as two peas. mal curve of value from zero to 25 per cent, and in exceptional cases probably more. In this connection, where such a special treatment \warded, the pricer SPECULATION HTS GHBLDNG = Diversion of Finances Is Re-|cn flected in Reported Decline in Construction. contract awards show a decline of 15 per | }5 cent over the same “That must indicate definitely upon the b oo Sag | erty record form his reason for ! dmonnl allowance, and he is held re- sponsible fo plying such factors.” “There are special considerations that ||| render a building less useful or desirable || than the standard structure for its size, location and type, and these consider- ations may reduce the fundamental nor- WESLEY HEIGHTS $15,950 3211 46th St. NW. 4 Bed Rooms 2 Baths Sun Parlor Attic Lot 55x165 2-Car Garage The above features and many others make this house an outstanding buy. OPEN SUNDAY Wm. S. Phillips & Co. REALTORS 1501 K St. NW. Main 4600 738 15th St. 'OFFICES FOR RENT in The Capital's Outstanding Office Building | THE WASHINGTON BLDG 15th St. at New York Ave. and G St. Opposite U, S. Treasury Especially Attractive Single Rooms Available INQUIRE ON PREMISES THOS. J. FISHER & CO., Inc. Main 6830 XCELLENT judgment has been shown by enthusiastic visitors who are getting ac- quainted with Washington’s newest bayshore colony, many of whom purchased or reserved choice Summer home sites. Superb bathing, one of the finest protected harbors on the East Coast, a great variety of excellent fishing, a sporty eighteen-hole golf course now being constructed, and innumerable other recreations Detached colonial brick with 1410 H St. N.W. e urge t.hnt you visit GREENBURY POINT Founded and backed by successful buamess men of Washington and Baltimore, the character of your owner- nelghbors is assured at the POINT. Then, too, its loca- tion is convenient from many standpoints, just S5 minutes’ drive over.a splendtd Highway and directly across the 365,000 Golf Course Now Under Construction Severn from Annapolis. The U.S. Naval Radio Station and U, S. racks grounds border th Marine ‘Bar- the POINT on two sides, and the iutm'e of this charming. Summer, colony, both in profits and pleal * ures, na obvxoully sound. '-C'om'e. "S’aturday or S:bi'day ADrJvm over the Defense Highway to thy nd “ Annapolis, Rev. W. E. La Rue to Preach. At the Takoma Park Baptist Church, 7008 Hampden Lane Main 36 Exclusive. Edgemoor New Stone Residence An excellent examgple nfltlu best in Stone Masonry Priced at $26,000 for Immediate Sale Your Inspection Invited TO INSPECT— Drive out Wisconsin Ave. to Edgemoor lang or Conn. Ave. t lane to Wis. Ave. to Bdgemoor fan "o e CHAS. D. SAGER BALTIMORE BUILDING PERMITS SHOW GAIN anunioq for mreh Increases $1,000,000 Over February - Construction. Total. Special Dispatch to The Star. BALTIMORE, April 6.—Bullding Dfl- mits granted in March for construction in Baltimore indicate an increase in valuation of building. of $1,000,000 over the Pebruary total. ‘The month also marked an increase over the total for March, 1928, Im- provements, additions and - alterations in March totaled $3,453,120. The total for March, 1928, was $2,789,400, and for February, 1029, $2,353,800. 3 Permits were granted for 378 dwell- ings, at tnlu:uan of 'l 460,000, during the month. For the first quarter of the ts have been issued at & valuation of la.flfl 500, compared 'lfl’l 922 dwelll permitted during the like period of 19: Second house from Postmaster New's residence, surrounded by high- class sections, such as Kenwood, Bat- tery Park, Bradley Hills, etc. This beautiful home, built to stand for many generations, contains EIGHT large rooms, baths with marble slab showers, open fire- places, latest electric fixtures and all modern home refinements. Two-car garage. Large lot with many beau- tful trees, lane, west on Edgemoor lane to home. Realtor 924 14th St. N.W. PROGRAM of extensive Spring and Sum- mer development in beautiful Chevy Chase Gardens com- mences with the completion of two residences of par- ticularly pleasing and origi design, at prices tain the remarkable stand- ard of value that has pre- inal that main- vailed in this delightful com- munity since our first showing less than one year ago... Thirty-three homes have been built and sold during the past ten months—many from plans. o« « + The homes pictured are offered . Sunday for the first time, and your inspection is cordially invited. To relcb, drive out Wisconsin Ave. op- posite Chevy Chase Country Club grounds, see our sign on left at Langdrum Lane. REAL ESTATE. Very Attractive Home of Slofie and Fr&ma in Old Chevy Chase, Md.—Section 2 6 WEST KIRKE STREET | A truly womier[ul home containing the maximum in promlmcnn. : irst floor kas reception hall, immense ving room with open fire, ining room, pantr: sy kitchen and laundry. gc floor cofuauu 4 pn‘mneyr bedrooms, 2 buhc and nrvuu‘s room. Third floor has @ master bedroom, 2 servants’ rooms and 2 baths. F: rigid- aire, Nokol Oil Burner with 1,000-gallon tank. 2-car garage with 50-gallon gasoline tank and other numerous fewtures. ’ Open Sunday W. H. WEST CO. 1519 K St. N.W. $55 Monthly and $350 CASH You, Too, Can Own One of Our Fa:rous Fort Stevens Homes Adjacent to New Government Park Every one is semi-detached, constructed of brick and contains six light, well arranged rooms, large modern bath, built-in 5irlge. front and rear porches, and many other attractive features, Over 500 of them have been sold already. Prices Range From $6,750 1o $7,850 Office at 8th and Tuckerman Sts, " Open Until 9 P.M. TO GET THERE—Out Georgia Ave. to Tuckerman St then ome square east to office, or telephone Georgia 394 and we will call for you. WARDMAN 1437 K St. N.W. eri mgs n CHIEVY CHASE GARDIENS 6203 Stratford Road Brick construction, slate roof, concrete side porch, 2 b-d:s. open fireplace, pantry, attic, two-car 'garage. Beautifully landscaped grounds. : $15,950 4609 Langdrum Lane Brick and stone. Center-hall glan. Six bedrooms, two aths, pan lace, oopper:hduxy!;of. h:':lpnge. ' Shrubbery and trees. $21,750.