The Board for the Condemnation of Insanitary Buildings (BCIB)


Broken Windows
Originally uploaded by In Shaw

I was about to blog about horrendous vacancy rate taxation on houses that are not vacant. But one of the example houses was recategorized to normal…. now all the owners have to do is get their homestead exemption. But while poking around for info I came across the Board for the Condemnation of Insanitary Buildings.
I didn’t know there was such a board until I found a letter from a similar sounding agency in the personal papers of a landlady. In the 1930s & 40s the landlady had owned my house as well as several other properties in DC, and one townhouse on the 1700 block of 4th Street was in danger of being condemned by the city.
Since I hadn’t really heard of anything about the city condemnation agency, I just assumed it was one of those defunct city agencies, like dairy inspectors. But no. There is the BCIB, and they are under DCRA.

2 thoughts on “The Board for the Condemnation of Insanitary Buildings (BCIB)”

  1. Last year,they condemned a house in my neighborhood. Nothing happened except that they stuck big ole orange signs all over the building. Maybe the signs will keep the building from falling down.

    esse

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