Nuisance & vacant properties

Here is the content of a recent fact sheet on nuisance vacant properties.

For a copy of the fact sheet, (electronic or via fax) reply to this email.

Who to contact regarding nuisance vacant or abandoned properties.

Report Vacant Homes:

1) Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs

Ø Neighborhood Stabilization Program – 442-4610

(Contacts the owner and enforces codes to ensure

that the house is brought up to standards. Also imposes fines for unkempt

homes.

http://www.dcra.dc.gov/about/index_hra.shtm

2) Office of Tax & Revenue fax# 442-6691

http://cfo.dc.gov/services/tax/forms/tax_forms/pdf/vacant_prop_reporting_for

m.xls

Higher tax fines for owners of abandoned/vacant homes- 5 times the normal

rate

3) United States Attorney’s Office/Fourth District

Report Nuisance Properties (for abatement action)

Ø Michelle McIver, 576-5255, Community Specialist

4) DC Office of Corporation Counsel (Neighborhood & Victims Services

Division)

Ø Nicholas Majett, 727-4171, Legal Counsel

5) Jose Sueiro, 671-2338, Ward One, Neighborhood Services Coordinator,

Office of the City Administrator

6) Office of the Fire Marshal (to have homes posted with unlawful entry

sticker), 727.1600

7) Report People in Vacant Homes: AUTOMATIC ARREST IF HOME IS POSTED BY FIRE

MARSHAL FOR NO ENTRY

Ø Metropolitan Police Department/Fourth District/ 3-1-1

8) Yvonne Smith, MPD Community Outreach & Ward One Mayor’s Core Team

ysmith@mpdc.org ? 202.576.8227 phone

9) Operation Crackdown- Bar Association of the District of Columbia

(Volunteer Lawyers)

http://www.badc.org/html/ylocd.htm

(202) 293-1348 opcrackdown@aol.com

In an effort to reduce crime and social disorder in the local Patrol Service

Areas (PSAs), officers of the Fourth District Substation have begun working

on the “Board Up and Lock Up” project. Vacant properties have long

contributed to quality of life issues in the District. Metropolitan Police

Department have partnered with its fellow members of the Ward One Mayor’s

Core Team to begin addressing the issues associated with vacant properties.

All vacant properties will be reported to the Department of Consumer and

Regulatory Affairs (DCRA). Officers will make sure each site has been

reported to the Office of the Fire Marshal to determine if they are eligible

for posting. Once homes are posted (though postings may be illegally

removed), officers will make arrests. This means anyone caught inside,

without official permission from the owner (i.e. making repairs) will be

immediately arrested. A hotline will be provided to neighbors, surrounding

vacant homes to report any violations. We will not tolerate vacant nuisance

properties in our neighborhood! This effort is another way officers and

neighbors can do their part to help “Take a Bite Out of Crime.”

Yvonne Smith, Community Outreach

Metropolitan Police Department

750 Park Road, NW

Washington, DC 20010

202.576.8227 phone