HomeMy WebLinkAbout1940-02-06-BASS-min.pdf Meeting, February 6, 1940
Messrs Steeves, Burnham, Emery and Spencer were present.
" The Board at their Jan. 29th meeting voted to abate the uncollected
1937 Water Lien standing in the name of Annie Sullivan et .als.` At
- this meeting the abatement slips were signed.
Reason for abatement: Widow - charity- Entire 1937 taxon real
k. estate abated leaving the water lien. i
t. The Board signed the. Monthly List of Taxes Abated - Levy of 1938;
,. Name - John L. Nuttall T. T. Town of Lexington - amount abated
being for $34.00. Abatement granted under Sec. 8, Chap. 58, G.Laws.
e . The ' yellow abatement slip signed by four members of the Board
' . on Oct. `23,` 1939 was held in this office pending the disclaimer of
rthe Tax Title.
On Feb. 3, 1940 Town Treasurer Carroll received a check from the
H.O.L.C. in settlement of the Nuttall tax' account, the. $34.00 abate--
I
ment had been deducted from the total amount due the Town of Lexing-
ton so Mr. Carroll asked for the a hed yellow abatement slipand
� �`�g
e it was given to him.
Town Accountant Russell asked that he be given a:•s.igned .abatement
record for his records so the signed Monthly List with the amount of
p,, 334.00 on it was given to Mr. Russell.
i • Letter from Clara E. Bunzel of East Street asking the -Boaad` tti
1,. again consider the assessment on her property was read and the Board
voted that no further reduction be made on the 1939 assessment.
'Ihe, Board viewed Mr. Frank W. Friend's property located at
39 Clarke Streete and at . this. meeting" the Board voted that the
assessment be ' cut from 415330 to :y 4940.
r-,'", .. Mr. Friend was notified by letter that the new valuation was ,,
as of Jan. lst,` 1940.
Letter from Mrs. Helen0. Whittemore was considered and the Board
having viewed her real estate voted at this meeting to reduce the
assessment on her vacant legit of land from 4p1310 to X820. New assess-.
K ment to apply as of Jan: ,;1st, ,1940.
F '
The Board voted that no change be made on her other parcel of
V „ real estate because _they did not feel that it was over assessed.
•
, , The Board agreed to meet at 1. P. M. on Friday, Feb. 9th, and go
out and look at a few parcels of real estate.
- Mr. Allan. Adams sat in with the Board and talked over the matter
t ., of the State Statute regarding. the filing of the Form; of List
I recently send out by the Assessors to a great many individuals in
(; Lexington, requesting them to file on their personal property as of
. January 1st, 1940.
The Board .wanted Mr. Adams to insert an explanation ofthe •
law in his weekly paper in order .to help the persons know the
necessary facts and help them to file correctly.
t..,, ZIL.C.1.124.'4e/ ' Ay ./
{ Secretar of tie Board
R
7
.. : Lexington, Mass.
January 19 , 1940.
;, Dear Sir or Madam,
The following is a letter received from Commissioner Henry F. Long,
in regard to taxing tangible personal property
" State 'House, Boston January 18, 1940.
1 • To the Board of Assessors
S}i
Lexington, Massachusetts
My attentionhas been called to 'a situation which seems to be
more or less uncertain in the minds of not only the taxpayers
','`r, but the Assessors throughout the State.
This situation relates to tangible personal proerty. It is
7 f' unfortunate that the Assessors throughout the State have not
' yt ' paidthe attention to taxing tangible personal property that
thisitemdeserves. Real estate has. been obliged to bear the
brunt of taxation, and of late years` has been sadly over
burdened because of this unfortunate situation. It, there-
-: fore, follows that if real estate is .to be relieved to any
I, extent, it must be through the efforts of the Assessors in tax_
ing personal property, which istaxable to the same extent that
real estate is taxable. The reason for this situation is that
t , . the real estate can be very easily seen. It cannot be hidden,
14. but thisis not true of personal property. It.,, therefore, be-
°� ;ti hooves the Assessors of each City and Town in the Commonwealth
to see to it that Section 29 of Chapter 59 is very carefully
} 4, followed and that each person mentioned in Section 29 be can
'r pelled to comply with the Law and file with his local Board of
Assessors .a list of all property that is subject to taxation.
If the Assessors in the State fail tocomply with their oath
of office and tax all property fairly and equitably, they are
�i, jeopardizing themselves and are not treating the citizens of
the community in the manner that the Law contemplates,
I would, therefore , urge the Assessors not only in Lexington,
ITfi° but in every other community in the State,- to see to it that
proper attention, under the Law, is given to the taxation of
personal property.
Very truly yours,
Henry F. Long, Commissioner
,By David W. Creelman ( sd.)
DWC*PAO Director
,;j1'' General Laws (Teri, Ed. ) Chapter 59 , Section 29 calls for everybody
1,
dtF to file a list of his or her personal tangible property.
Anyone not returning the enclosed form of list with every question
Y , answered will be assessed for personal property, fox what the Board
' , thinks he should pay.
F'i, The ' time for filing this list has been extended to March 1st, 1940,
Vit„ 12y, the Assessors of Lexingtoni
Respectfully yours,
r Clyde. E. Steeves, Chairman
pi William I. Burnham Leland H. Emery
William A. Cann William H. Shanahan
�
> 0) Assessors of Lexington.