Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 19, Number 24, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 November 1897 — After The Tax Ferrets. [ARTICLE]

After The Tax Ferrets.

A Suit To Enjoin Fleener and Carnahan Filed Last Wednesday. A legal document of much public interest was filed jn the clerk’s office, Wednesday morning. Several months ago the county commissioners entered into a contract with Fleener & Carnahan, professional tax ferrets, to look up money due the county from state, from other counties and more especially from back taxes on sequestered property. For all moneys found to be due from these sources, and collected through the labors of the ferrets, the latter were to receive half for their labors. In pursuance of this contract, Fleener & Carnahan have had several persons here for the last five or six weeks, looking through the various books and records of the county, in search of property which had not been listed for taxation This morning a very lengthy complaint was filed in the clerk’s office, being in the name of Elias Marion, a resident and tax payer, in Rensselaer. The complaint sets forth the facts of the above mentioned contract, and claims that the commissioners have no right to make such a contract, and that we have public officials whose duty it is to look up and place upon the duplicated omitted taxables. The complaint asks that the contract be annulled, that the commissioners be enjoined from making any order to pay money to Fleener & Carnahan, that the auditor be enjoined from drawing any warrant in their favor, and that the treasurer be enjoined from paying such warrant if one is presented to him. A temporary restraining order is asked for, and the hearing set for next Saturday. W. B. Austin, Sellers & Uhl, and Foltz, Spitler & Kurrie are the attorneys for the complainant.