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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1941-06-04-BASS-min.pdf MEETING, JUNE 4, 1941 Messrs Steeves,Cann,Burnham,Shanahan,Emery,Spencer and Miss Ready were present. I The 1941 Real Estate Tax Warrant for Tax Collector Seaman amount- ing -to $639,209.38 was signed by the Board at this meeting. The 1941 Personal Property Tax Warrant for Mr. Scamman: amounting to $48,657.41 was signed by the Board. The 1941 Assessors Warrant to the Tax Collector for Betterment Assessments and Water Liens amounting to 011,696.18 was signed by the Board. The 1941 Assessors Warrant to Town Ireasurer Carroll amounting to $707,098.97 was signed by the Board. Notice of. Commitment of Personal Property Tax, Real Estate Tax, Apportioned 1941 Betterment Assessments, 1941 Committed Interest and Water Liens amounting -to $699,562.97 was signed by the Board to be given to Town Accountant Russell. List of 46 uncollected 1939 Poll Taxes submitted by Tax Collector Saamman was examined and the Board voted to abate said poll taxes and signed the abatement slips amounting to $92.00. The reasons why the taxes were not collected were written on the list submitted by Mr. Seaman. • The Board abated 21 uncollected 1940 Poll Taxes, and the abatement Islips amounting to $42. 00 were signed by the Assessors. 126 uncollected 1941 Poll Taxes were abated by the Board and the - abatement slips were signed by the. Board. Reasons stated on the Statutory Exemption Blanks were as follows : Clause 17A, Clause 23, Non-resident and Welfare recipients. Water Lien Warr-ants to the Tax Collector for the following amounts were signed by the Board. $122. 02 $18.15 39.97 17.00 ~ Commitment of Unapportioned SeweAssessments amounting to $151.00 was signed by the Board. Commitment of Unapportioned Water Assessments amounting to $184. 50 was signed by the Board. • Department bills were approved and signed for payment. Mrs. Agnes M. Knotts, daughter of Mrs. Francelia Libby, of 57 Spring Street came before the Board at 8:30 P . M. and discussed with the Board the tax situation on her Mothers ' property. She said her 71 year old Mother and 33 year old Brother live at home. Brother is in poor health and unable to work. Mrs. Knotts said she did sewing in Boston for a living and lives in Boston except week- ends when she lives with her Mother in Lexington. Mortgage amount now a little over $2700. Mrs. Knotts said that while her Mother was granted the 02000 ex- emption on her tax bill under Clause 17 or 18 they were able to keep up their mortgage payments along with the help that she and her brother gave, but. when the Board reduced the exemption abatement amount to 41000 the Workingmens Co-operative Bank, mortgagee, raised the monthly payments a little over 43.00, and at the present time. they are four months in the arrears. The Board told Mrs. Knotts that they reduced the assessments on her Mothers ' property considerably to help them,and that because of her equity in the property they could not grant her the $2000 ex- emption under Clause 17. Mrs, Knotts told the Board that if the total tax for one year was abated that she felt. she could get caught up with the payments and save the property from being foreclosed by the bank. Mrs. Knotts said she is giving all .the help and assistance she can, that another married sister whose whereabouts are unknown does not give any help to keep the home for. her Mother and Brother. Mrs. Knotts thanked the Board for being allowed to appear before them and said she would appreciate any help that the Board could give her Mother on the 1940 tax bill. After Mrs. Knotts left the Board discussed -the Libby tax matter and they voted to abate the balance 51f her 1940 tax bill. On.. October 19th, 1940 the Board granted .141rs Libby an abatement of $32..20 on her 1940 tam bill, under Clause 18, Sec. 5.. Chapter 59. Upon checking with the Tax Collector as to the balance due on Mrs. Libby' s 1940 tax bill it was found that the balance of her tax, namely . $112.70 and the 419.70 Water Lien had been paid by the Workingmens Co-operative Bank,so the abatement slips were made out in the name of Francelia Libby and. sent. to the bank. The bank was informed why the refund check was being sent to them and hoped _ that they would credit the total sum of the check to Mrs. Libby's mortgage account and thus help to make her montlly payments smaller so that the payments can be kept up-t-date. Letter waa also sent to Mrs. Knotts informing her of the decision of the Board and telling her that a refund check for $132.40 was• sent to the bank. Letters from Mrs. Florence L. Ldwar ds, and Hazen W. Hamlin real estate saleman, ,in regard to the sale of her property located at /f89 . Bedford • Street was read and the Board and Mr. Spencer discussed the matter.• The Assessors said they would like to help Mrs. Edwards , an elderly • woman, and that they felt it would be a good thing for the town to accept the 41500.00 settlement check, have the tax title disclaimed, • provided FF Commissioner Long gave . the Assessors authority under Sec.. 8, of Chap. 58, General Laws to abate a. certain amount of the tax due for each of the years 1936 to 1940 inclusive. The Board told Mr. Spencer to Worm Mr. :Hamlin that they were agree- able to his suggested tax settlement amount of 41500.00 provided they could get authority from Commissioner Long to abate the difference between the total amount due the Town (42178.73)" and. the ;;1500.00 check amount Town if the real estate deal goes thru. to be paid to the When Mr.. Spencer heard from Mr. Hamlin that the deal was to go thru he was to send the figures to Commissioner Long and if approved the abatement slips would be signed and given to the Tax Collector. • Mrs. Herbert Shannon and Mr. Maurice McWalters , her attorney from Concord, came before the Board to see if the Assessors would grant an abatement ,on the, total amount due the Town on the property located at #j1 Winthrop Road, formerly assessed to .Daniel J. 0' Connell, and a couple weeks ago foreclosed by Mrs. Shannon, widow of Herbert Shannon, who vas mortgagee of the property. from • An48000 8000 mortgage/`l aken. by Mr. Shannon n dermina O'Connell in 1927, and in 1930 the property was conveyed to Mr. Daniel J. O' Connell. V 014 . Mr. Daniel J. O'Connell was Mr. Shannon's attorney and it was not until after Mr. .Shannon's :death this year that Mrs. Shannon found out that the taxes and water charges had not been paid to the Town for several years. She said it was negligent on the part of Mr. Shannon not to have investigated and found out if the taxes were being paid, but because Mr. O 'Connell was his lawyer he no doubt felt that the taxes were being paid to the Town. It was stated that 816,196.23 was tied up in the property when it was foreclosed. Mrs. Shannon bought the property in for '82000 at the foreclosure sale. Back taxes and water liens amounts,:: ; to $1576. 23. The Board was informed that the house had been moved to its present location. Mrs. Shannon said she had been informed that. the house had been idle for years,. and that a Hubley family had rented the property from August 1939 to August 1940 and paid 875.00 per month. Mr. O' Connell told the Hubley family that the property was for sale 1` and that is why they moved out. . Mrs.Shannon saidshe did not know what Mr. O'Connell, when owner, was asking for rent when the house stayed idle so long. Mrs. Shannon said real estate men informed her that the market value of the ,property was around $6000. The Board told her that the house was assessed for 66000 and that they did not feel that the property was over assessed at $8080, but that they would view the property after she filed the 1941 abatement application. When Mrs. Seannon stated that she had been informed that the house had been vacant from sometime in 1930 until 1940 except for -the year that the Hubley family had rented it, one member of the Board said a friend of his rented the house for. several years and because Mr. O'Con- nell wanted to raise the rent he moved out of town. This member said he did not know what rent the party was paying but he knew he was satisfied with the house while living in it. The Board said they did:-not,.see how they could reduce the total €r amount due the Town because of . the circumstances, but they would con-- eider the case and let her and Mr. McWalters know their decision. Mrs. Shannon and Mr. McWalters thanked the Board for being granted this hearing. After Mrs. Shannon and Mr.. McWalters left the Assessors con- sidered the case and they voted that no abatement be granted as the .s Board felt that the taxes should have been paid and that themortgagee should have checked with the Tax Collector as .the parcel had been: ad-.: vertised. for taxes in the weekly paper: Letter from Mrs. Hilda R. Smith of Manchester, Mass . acting as broker for her Aunt, Mrs. William E. Denham of 6 Raymond Street, was read and the Assessors suggested that her letter be acknowledged and she be informed to file real estate abatement applications on the Denham parcels after the 1941 tax bills are received. Letter from Tax Collector Scam/Ian to the Board regarding the cir- cumstances of Miss Johanna Kennedy of 977 Mass. Avenue was read and the Assessors knowing Miss Kennedy and her situation voted to abate the balance of her unpaid 1939 real estate tax. Abatement of .$104.19 granted under Clause 18, Sec. 5. Chap. 59. Letter dated May 17th from Lubets & Lubets, Tax Counsultants of r:, 185 Devonshire Street,Boston, in regard to the Withdrawal of the Ervin R. Dix Tax Appeal Case was read.. Mr. Spencer had talked with Attorney Lubets and he said the :. Appellant -Ervin R. Dix would withdraw the case if a $500.00 valuation 414'. reduction was granted on the 1940 assessment. Mr. Spencer told the. Board of his talk with Mr. Lubets and the Board said they werewilling to grant the 11;50O .00 compromise abatement, valua- tion reduction. At this meeting the Board voted to grant -this compromise abatement and the abatement slips were signed by the Assessors. Amount abated being for -16. 1.0. The Board was informed that Mr. Wallace, Representative of the Home Owners Loan C orp orati on, had asked what the Board. was going to do about the 1940 unpaid real estate tax of Elmer L. & Rhoda C. Cushman of 11 Chase Avenue. For several years the Assessors have abated the Cushman tax under Clause 18 and at this meeting the Board voted to abate. the 1940 tax of $:113.99 under Clause 18. - A vacant lot of land located at the corner of Sheridan and Grant Streets assessed to John Bullock et al was used by the Vine Brook Drain- age construction workers during the, construction of Vine Brook and build- ing !flit material*Ws left on the lit for two years. Mr. Bullock was willing that"they use the lot for one year butnow it is over two years and the lot has not been put back in the condition that it formerly was and he :7s not willing to pay the 1940 tax. Mr. Bullock has been unable to use the lot or sell it and he felt that the 1940 tax should be abated. Mr. William Paxton, Supt. of Streets, had taken the matter up with the Selectmen and they suggested that the Assessors be asked to abate the 1940 tax of 020.93. At this meeting Mr. Spencer gave the facts to the Board and the Assessors voted to abate the tax rather than have Mr. Bullock take action against the town for not cleaning up the lot as agreed to. Miss Lily C. Johanson of #503 Concord l,Lvenue came before the Board to talk over with the Assessors the matter of her tax situation. She told the Board that she inherited the large Cutler Farm consisting of several buildings and 207 acres of land from her Aunt, Mrs. Sarah Cutler, Miss Johanson said she feels that the property is over assessed and she wondered if she should ask for a re-appraisal or if she could be granted a blanket abatement. She said owning real estate and trying to carry on a farm was all new to her and she was finding it very hard so she recently had to dispose of her herd of cattle. Miss Johanson told the Board that she discussed with Commissioner Long the Inheritance Tax Valuation Figures that he sent to her and after he heard her story Commissioner Long reduced the figures from 041,480 to 033,200 and she paid the inheritance tax on 033,200. The Board told her that the total real.,e state valuation on the Cutler Farm was $36,680, and that several years ago the ,lissessors re-valued the land and they assessed it on the average of $125.00 per acre which the present Board considered very low for some of the high land and rather high for some of the low wet land. The Board said a good part of the farm was very desirable for build- ing development, especially since the new Cambridge-Concord Highway was built. Miss Johanson said she has tried to contack various farmers, dairymen and real estate developers but on account of present unsettled conditions no sale or renting has happened. She said she would have to post a bond if she were to start a land is development, spend a good sum for new streets , water mains, etc. Miss Johanson told the Board that her Uncle put the land to good use while he ran -the farm and dairy and that she visited Lexington many times while her Uncle and Aunt ran t farm. (1 In Miss Johanson said if she couldcreate a business and make an income on the farm she would like to very much for she does not want to dispose of the farm. Miss Johanson said she feels that she could notget $25,000 for the farm because of the type of farm it is and because of present conditions. She said the 107 acres of;land on one side of the street was very desirable for a land development and that '.in time it may be developed. . . Miss Johanson was, asked: how many heiffers she was raising Wand she said about 10 when she sold the herd of cattle in the spring. Miss Johanson said she found she would need asmany more cows , as ,she had, need extra help and because of the labor situation and because the milking machines were of the old type: : she felt it was better to sell the herd for she could not pay her taxes and other bi lls and make a living. Miss Johanson said she may be able to rent the farm in the fall as the large barn was suitable' f or cows., Miss Johanson thanked the Assessors; for granting her this hearing and said she would appreciate any tax abatement the Board saw fit to allow her. After Miss Johanson left the Board read a letter addressed to them from Commissioner Long and the Assessors consideredMissJohanson' s situation and the Board voted to grant her an abatement of $140.00, the amount stated in CommissionerLong 's letter. Mr. Spencer was requa sted to get Commissioner Long Is authority under Sec. 8 of Chapter 58., General Laws to grant this 0140.00 real estate tax abatement on Miss Johanson 's 1940 tax bill. On June 6th Commissioner Long's Written approval was requested and on June 16th, the written authority was received and the abate- ment slips were put thru. Secretary of the Board • v.r.;