Check out this explanatory comment from Joe Englert:
Our next serious push on H st is to call out all the landlords whom have let their properties become abandoned nuisances on and around H St. The H St SortaBID N.E. (Showbar, Red and Black, Pug, Martini Lounge, Granville Moore, Atlast, RnR, Argo, H St. Playhouse, etc) is going to pitch several ideas to Tommy about getting these property owners to paint, buy windows, lease or sell.
We don't want to tolerate the despair, danger and foreboding these sad structures bring to the strip. We'll annouce something formal a little bit down the line. Thanks, Joe Englert
****************************************
UPDATED
****************************************
Our quasi-BID only covers the 1200-1500 blocks of H. We are independent business AND building owners. We sweep the streets, haul aways debris, advertise our clubs and bars, pay for a shuttle service and buy supplies and tools for the maintenance of the street.UPDATED
****************************************
We welcome anybody who would like to join but maintaining our 3 blocks alone is a massive undertaking. We aren't looking to expand to the other parts of H yet. No one is paid in our organization. We will work hard to promote the use or lose movement.
Also, we have strong opinions on limiting the number of liquor establishments we should have on H, on our end and throughout the street.
Our next major push is to make H street a green corridor, promoting and using renewable energy sources, energy efficient power and machines and recycled building materials. We also will do charity work and fundraising. So, we look forward to the future.
Joe Englert
77 comments:
"We don't want to tolerate the despair, danger and foreboding these sad structures bring to the strip."
So what about the guys in military type clothes who yell at and threaten gays and other groups at Eighth St on Saturdays? They seem dangerous and foreboding to me. I avoid the area on Saturdays.
Sorry, it would take more than an act of congress to get rid of the guys at 8th and H since they are exercising their constitutional right to free speech. However, the use of the amplifier is not a constitional right, but a DC legislative mistake.
Rhose preachers should absolutely not be able to use an amplifier like that. Free speech is one thing, but interfering with businesses, and booming your message into the houses of residents in another all together. This is a right that the Supreme Court, with its wish to protect free speech, never intended. This should definitely not be legal. I'm not sure what the best way is to combat these guys, but taking away their amplifier is a good step.
Wow, imagine if say just John Formant became a responsible H Street property owner and did something with his blighted structures. Now this is a single landlord that could make a big difference. Unfortunately, this slumlord is glorified in publications like the Hill Rag (because he sends a lot of advertising dollars their way) and most people don't realize how much he has contributed to decay and blight on H Street over the years.
isn't there some kind of inspector general in dc that could provide some oversight on the agencies that allow slumlords to keep their properties vacant, and taxed at the lowest possible level?
u know they put them up for sale or hang a construction permit outside, and they pay practically zero taxes, and keep them off the market. that's actually illegal, as it violates the intent of the law.
i'd love to nail some of these guys like formant, but the overseeing agencies don't do anything. there's gotta be some kind of office of the inspector general to get these guys in line.
no?
Since I've spent way too much time on my Quest for Quiet blog, I believe the Saturday 8th and H St amplified crowd's bark is much worse than their bite. Please don't let their rhetoric or costumes intimidate or frighten you. That's what they want, afterall.
Your hearing and blood pressure after four hours of amplified noise are another health and safety matter altogether.
Couldn't agree more about this. I think there's already a law against negligent property owners that incurs an increase in property tax or some fee, but the city holds back on inflicting it because of possible affects on the poor.
Problem is, these places are abandoned, not just occupied and in disrepair. City needs to force them prove residency or sell.
and those guys at 8th and H are obnoxious but I don't know if anything legal can be done. at least it's good to know that everybody thinks they're assholes.
those abandoned houses are a health hazard. there's a bunch of crackheads that sneak in and out of one near my street.
recently, a crackhead started a fire in one, and the entire block had to be razed. good thing they were ALL vacant. they were on K street and 3rd, NE.
it's not just about tax evasion. it's a public hazard.
if enough people have a problem with the guys on 8th & H, why not go down there with 20 people and ask them to pipe down. what are they going to do, yell louder into the megaphone? start chanting and marching around them. basically if this happens every saturday, the police are going to break all of it up for blocking the sidewalk. worst case scenario: a confrontation breaks out, but then the lot of them would get arrested. stop complaining and DO SOMETHING.
To bring this back to the topic at hand:
There has been an effort underway at the western end of H Street for some time now to get the various vacant properties properly classified (and taxed). It has already resulted in at least a nominal effort by the owner of the former convenience store on the southwest corner of 4th and H to clean up the shop and make it tenantable again.
I'll point the person who has been working on this so diligently in the direction of this post, so he can fill you in on what he's been doing and how to make it happen down in the Atlas District, as well.
Hi Mike,
to your point of classification...have you mapped out these processes? In other words do you or somebody else have a document that spells out how to go about what you're doing? "If the property is vacant and a health hazard then step 1 contact "x"; step 2 file "y" form; etc?
I think a "best practices" for dealing with this problem would be helpful, even off H and in the neighborhoods. Thanks!
Re: vacant properties. Oddly enough, DCRA is VERY efficient in classifying a property as vacant. They have, in the last 18 months, managed to turnmy very lived in house into a vacant lot 3 times. Apparently if it means more money for the city they are really quick on doing this. Just email dcra@dc.gov with the address and I guarantee they will have someone out there ASAP. If a property is considered vacant the owner is taxed at $5 per every $100, not the $.88 when it is occupied. As soon as the lot is considered vacant OTR gets notification and the tax rate goes into effect ASAP (again, more money for the city). All you would need is the exact address and I'm sure DCRA would get on this ASAP!
I think Maureen's comment pretty much sums it up, though I'm not exactly sure if there's anything more to it in terms of 'best practices.'
I've emailed the guy who has been bringing vacant properties near him to the attention of DCRA and told him about this post. Hopefully he'll come by and fill in any missing details.
But - as Maureen said - the city is pretty good about following up on something if it means more revenue. And it does increase the taxes that are paid on a property by more than 500%.
If we band together we can easily get this corrected. Please do e-mail dcra@dc.gov. While you are at please add these properties to your list. (These are vacant but not classified as vacant). If you post the properties here that you know are vacant, and the tax roles have them not listed as vacant I will e-mail DCRA with your properties as well.
306 H ST NE
316 H ST NE
326R H ST NE
328 H ST NE
337 H ST NE
400 H ST NE
405 H ST NE
406 H ST NE
407 H ST NE
408 H ST NE
411 H ST NE
413 H ST NE
414 H ST NE
If you look at the Real Property Database you can see if the properties are classified or not. If you can't determine it, see what percentage of the 2007 assessment they are being taxed at. If the first half or the year is around 1% and it does not have a class 3 exception (building permit or it is for sale) the city thinks it is not vacant. If the first half is 2.5% and it is vacant, it is being properly taxed. Look at 313 H Street NE (vacant lot). At 26K a year in taxes I doubt they will sit on it for too long.
wow! this group is rockin' and rollin'! what a fantastic resource to get things done!
i'm emailing dcra today! i'll include the properties above.
I appreciate all the info. I'll get the two addresses on my street. This does bring up why I asked about process: once you email the DCRA, how do you follow up...how do you track the owner's maneuvers to avoid classification, etc, etc. I'm sure they have it down to a science...we should have it down to a science, too.
Part of the problem on abandoned and neglected properties is that there are two separate processes involved.
DCRA is pretty good about getting properties listed as vacant--but only on their list. OTR is the agency that has to impose the higher tax rate ($5 vs. $.88)--through management of their own separate list.
This is something that I've spoken with Councilmember Wells about on a couple of occaisions--that it is far too difficult to get the second step of having the higher tax rate imposed.
Also, the higher tax rate can only be imposed for vacant properties, not neglected properties, which to me takes care of the concern about unfairly affecting poor property owners.
There is also the ReStore program, which is supposed to take steps to use eminent domain (or maybe condemnation, I'm not 100% certain) to take vacant properties in commercial zones so that they can be finally rehabilitated. But, this hasn't been used very much and doesn't seem to be a priority.
Best,
Alan Kimber
ANC Commissioner, 6C05
Do you have an email address we could all send abandoned properties to?
Rob, that is a great point. That is one reason I have argued to get assessments raised as well. (They are still too low, 405 H Sold for 825K in ‘06 and is assessed for 342K for ‘08) I have met with people like Leighton (Mike) Jones who does a lot of the assessments on H. Also I have spoken with Tom Branham, who is the head of commercial assessments for DC. It would really help if more people contact them, especially Mike, if you think the assessments around you are too low. (Tom is very good, but also very busy.) 202-727-4TAX Use this link to check property values
http://otr.cfo.dc.gov/otr/cwp/view,a,1330,q,594345.asp
Some people have an issue with this because it also hurts people that have fixed up their property. While I agree -- it hurts much worse (2 ½ times) as bad -- if your property is declared vacant, or if you have no income on it. If for some reason they can skate the 5% rate they are still being taxed at 2%. When your property is assessed at 600 or 800K, regardless it is taxed at least 12 to 16K.
I think if we get a group of people to watch their blocks carefully this can be a very effective method of getting deadbeats out.
DC has closed at lot of loopholes and I think with the Councilman’s help we can close even more. We also have to get Councilman Wells to grant a tax break of say only 1% to people who fix up and find occupants for their properties.
I think this Blog is key as well in that it provides everyone with a great resource … information. Well done Elise.
Both these properties are on the DCRA list but neither is being taxed at 5% and neither has a class 3 exception.
Address: 0406 H ST NE
SSL: 0808 0007
Address: 0337 H ST NE
SSL: 0777 0052
It is not hard to believe we have so many vacant properties on H vacant. If we work together we can get these kind of mistakes corrected.
Elise:
How about a post dedicated to the H Street properties currently owned by John Formant?
Just a thought...
Ken
More appropriately, how about a blog dedicated to Formant's blighted, mismanaged, drug den properties throughout DC? Something like www.formantblight.com It's not just his dozen or so H Street properties that are destroying communities and adding to blight. Formant also owns a property (mis)management company. God help anyone who lives next to a property he manages. Too bad our community newspapers (e.g. Hill Rag) don't do a better job of reporting the truth when it comes to the real contributers to blighted blocks/strips. Unfortunately, they have a policy of "buy one ad, get great press!"
i just emailed the Rag (capital community news), and asked them for some balanced coverage on formant. i also said that there were folks on a dc blog that were outraged at his mismanagement....
I have never even heard of this John Formant person until this blog. Being a homeowner in the area, I too would like to know more about him and the properties he owns. Thanks.
Honestly friends, if there really is no clearinghouse for this sort of information (dc.gov *should* have it) I'm willing to set up a web site devoted to:
- Describing what are the types of properties we're talking about
- What are the problems associated with them
- What *exactly* is the process citizens & groups can follow for each 'class' of property that should be improved. What to do, who to call, how to demand accountability, what are the applicable laws, what are the loopholes, who's getting in the way of fixing the loopholes, who's helping get rid of them, etc.
- a list of properties
- and perhaps even a Blight Hall of Fame. Name names and properties, only factual, public domain stuff
This sort of thing costs about 60 or 70 bucks a year, but it's worth it. I'd solicit donations and maybe we could drum up press coverage. Of course I guess I could also get myself shot or my house burned down, too.
If someone w/ expertise and knowledge of the subject wants to help me with this write me at
hudba66-trinidad1[at]yahoo.com
Suggestions for names? DCBlight.com, something more positive... FixItUpDC.com??
the website sounds like a great idea! i like the positive spin on the name. it makes it seem a bit more upbeat and constructive.
(although the 'hall of fame' could actually be called a ' wall of shame' ;o)
fixitdc.com is also available....
for the prior person... see johncformant.com
Do not call your site Fix It DC. There is already an organization called DC Fix It, and you'll cause confusion if you use a name so similar.
u can go to thesaurus.com and look for ideas.
maybe improvedc.com?
Please add the following addresses to your list:
820 5th St. NE
828 5th St. NE
Thanks for the information. For now what I'm going to do is educate myself and find out what I can. I'll put the information up on the Trinidad web site w/ the other real estate stuff (after all we have plenty of vacant properties) and if I develop something that would be valuable across the whole city we can take it to the next level w/ a site of its own. Anyone who wants to chip in w/ in-depth info (I do see they have the basics on the dc.gov site) email me at hudba66-trinidad1[at]yahoo.com
Please add 646 I st. NE to your list as well. Also, Elise, perhaps you could offer a place on the site where we could post pictures along with addresses of vacant/abandoned property? Not sure if that is useful or not, but it would put a "name with a face" so-to-speak
Could the person with the problem with John C Formant Realty be more specific? What types of problems? What properties? Have you ever contacted the company directly with your complaints, etc?
Hillman - are you kidding us?! Just look up and down H Street and see which properties are Formant properties. Some have his sign out front, many do not. Has anyone ever contacted Formant about his derelict properties on H Street?! You mean he doesn't know that they are blighted, unoccupied and are doing nothing for the community?! Are you saying his real estate portfolio is so large that he has no clue regarding the status of his H street properties so members of the community need to call him and tell him?
I found this link that you all may find interesting http://tinyurl.com/yv3a4j
The pictures pretty much show why informed community members are concerned about Formant's attitude towards H Street. Take a look and discuss...do you think this right?
Nice contrast by Richard. If Formant doesn't come into line when the quasi-BID makes its suggestions about painting, etc., we should have another Q4Q amplified noise day out front of his office :-)
What do we want? Paint! When do we want it? Now!
I should point out that Formant owns (at leaqst I think he still owns them) a few places on H Street that are currently being worked on by some crews. But yeah, the guys owns a lot of buildings on H Street that he has pretty much allowed to rot for years. He's no hero, just a speculator with no love for H Street.
Maybe he doesn't care, because the community has just accepted its blight over the years, when clearly he is part of the problem. Maybe if the community speaks out in outrage, with councilman Wells and the ANC in support, maybe he'll feel the pressure to care.
anon 9:53
i think you hit with hammer, the nail on the head.
now, it time for the action!
chinkwheh!
Joe Englert:
Don't you think Formant is being treated unfairly? Have you invited him to be part of the Quasi BID since he is a huge stateholder? If so, what was his response? If not, can you do this? I think the H Street community and the Frozentropics readers would be quite interested in his response to the invitation.
The BIDish thing is made up of H Street businesses. Formant just owns vacant properties here.
Rob,
Some of these abandoned blighted properties on the Hill are owned by the District of Columbia itself. Since I don't think they are taxed at all, the city has virtually no incentive to sell them to someone who will fix them up.
A web site highlighting some of these properties could be the impetus the city needs to move on these. It took years to get the city to sell a blighted house in the 500 block of E St. NE. But they are still sitting on many, many other small properties.
Too bad the BID(ish) thing excludes property owners. So you have to be a business owner to be included in the BID thing? What about if a property owner wanted to be included - would they be turned away?
I don't know if they are excluding property owners. I just notice that everyone involved is a business owner. I don't the rules they are using.
Anonymous: I'd give a lot more weight to your comments if you at least signed your posts with some sort of trackable screen name. And you haven't said if you ever contacted Formant or not. And you never said what the actual problems were, at what property. I'm not disputing that there are problems. I'm just saying a vague, anonymous trashing on a neighborhood forum absent anything more constructive isn't really fair to Formant.
Anonymous: I apologize a bit. I see you (or someone calling themselves Anonymous) did post a link to one particular Formant property. So you (or someone) has done some actual identification of a particular problem, even though there isn't much of a description of what you think ought to be done. But it'd help a lot if you described any efforts made to have Formant address issues you are concerned about, and what Formant's responses have been.
Hi Vee,
That's a tough call. If the city were to think it through and do an analysis, the increase in tax receipts from surrounding properties (and the businesses that would inhabit them) might actually be greater than the $$ it makes on the appreciation of the properties. We'd have to do a cash flow spreadsheet comparing the two scenarios...it all depends on what sorts of sales or food tax revenues the city gets from your average business. That plus the marginal property tax increases from the surrounding buildings plus the property taxes for the buildings they sell could outweigh the couple hundred grand they stand to make by holding on to the property. It sure would be good policy, too.
And really, every time H St gets a little nicer, the values of surrounding homes go up as well so you'd have to look at the marginal increase in property taxes caused by H St improvements there as well. Ok I've talked myself into it...the city *does* have incentive to sell all of its properties on H provided it's to owners who will renovate and put businesses in...not speculators. :-)
See the updated post for more info on the quasi-BID.
Hillman, what is your association with Formant? Are you a writer for the Hill Rag?
I'm not particularly well-informed about this, but I know there is at least one program the District has in place to deal with abandoned properties of which it has taken ownership. A neighbor of mine has said that the District will make 'blocks' of four or five such properties available at auction, with the condition that the purchaser must renovate them to the point at which they are tenantable within one year. It's a bit of a daunting proposal (my neighbor is a small-scale developer) unless you've got a major construction company backing you up.
I'll see if I can find out some more information on this from my neighbor and let you know. Though if anyone else is aware of this program and knows more details, please feel free to share with the rest of us.
I've emailed Rob and I want to start documenting each abandoned building by photographing it and dating the pictures. Once we've done that we could compile a total list of every abandoned property and who owns it, whether it's the city or a private person. From that point we could write letters to the powers that be/owners asking what their future plans are for those various properities and that we, as a community, would like to see them either a) developed, b) sold to someone who would consider developing them or c) see if there is someway to help an individual owner who is actually interested in fixing up their property, but doesn't know how or cannot afford to do so at this time. It may not be much, but it's a good start and it will be a good way to document where we stand now and potentially track progress of where we are going as a neighborhood. I'm going to wait to hear from Rob, but if anyone is interested in joining me I'd like to begin putting together a list of people who would be willing to take pictures of vacant and abandoned properties in addition to researching and documenting who owns them. Please email me at charlesscottelliott@yahoo.com if you are interested in being a part of this. I was thinking we could meet once a week/two weeks/month at the argonaught or someone's house to figure out where we are. I don't know much about blogging, websites etc. so someone with that kind of knowledge would be very helpful. The next step would be to start documenting "dangerous" places i.e. alleyways with no lights in them etc. and to write letters to the DC government, Tommy Wells etc. to see what they can do to help.
Ok great. I can commit to within the next three weeks having some kind
of site going. In the mean time if you want to contribute, here's a simple way you can help compile the information. For each property:
1. Take a digital picture of the property if you can.
2. Make a new Word document or whatever word processor you use. Name the document [address].doc where [address] is the property address, including NE, NW, etc.
3. Inside the document, paste the picture of the property.
4. Inside the document, list the following information or as much of it as you can:
a. Property assessment value & Owner, etc, which you can get by following This link. Just copy and paste everything you get on the property from this link.
b. Whether it's on the DCRA vacant property list. Here is a link to that list.
c. Whether it's on the OTR (taxes) list. That info is at This link
That's a start. You can email these Documents to hudba66-trinidad1[at]yahoo.com.
And in another week or so we can meet up and think of what's the most useful approach to putting this information to work.
Anonymous: I have no affiliation with Formant, nor do I write for any publication.
I'm just uncomfortable with such harsh words against a company, posted anonymously, if no one has bothered to actually try to address the issues with Formant directly. And I'm curious as to what exactly you think should be done.
For instance, the website photo of the Formant property in the 400 block of H St. I assume its' unoccupied. What exactly do you think should be done to it? What is it's status? Is it for sale, for rent, awaiting a contract for a tenant, in some other form of legal limbo, awaiting some sort of historic or other city approval? All those things are relevant to a building's condition.
I'm all for property owners making their places presentable. But this doesn't seem to be the way to go about doing that.
I used to live down off of Barracks Row, back when it really sucked. Down there neighbors would contact the owner about a specific property and ask for specific appearance improvements. That seemed to work pretty well. I was just asking if that has been done with specific Formant (or other) properties.
I agree with Hillman. Formant has an absolute right to keep his properties in a rotting state unless someone calls him up and suggests painting and replacing windows on his rot props. Rob, please do not list any of Formant's properties on the website that you're putting together because that would just be wrong if you haven't called him first and asked him to paint, right Hillman?
Don't worry--even just putting pictures up on the web and publicly available information could be an invitation for trouble so I plan to be very conservative and "just the facts, ma'am." In fact, if there are any lawyers out there who want to give their opinion on the picture thing, please chime in. I'm going to meet with Charles and whoever else contacts him in about two weeks when things calm down for me to discuss it (please see his comment above about getting together to discuss).
I think the focus has to be constructive, positive change. No running down property owners, just providing information that is difficult for citizens and groups to get a hold of otherwise. Just a forum to share what works to bring about positive change. It's up to the consumers of the information how to use it. Anon 8:39 & Hillman suggests a good first step for our best practices...contact the owner and ask nicely for improvements. How do you know who the owner is? We'll tell you how to find out from public records!
I've been really impressed with David's Quest for Quiet blog. It shows how at our local level it *is* possible to get things done.
Joe, you mentioned "Our next major push is to make H street a green corridor, promoting and using renewable energy sources, energy efficient power and machines and recycled building materials. We also will do charity work and fundraising."
I would like to volunteer (preferably weekends, maybe 4 hours per weekend) to help out. Please let me know how I can help with charity work, cleaning the streets, etc. healey.j[at]gmail.com
I am not for "hunting" down owners at all. I'd just like to get in touch with people and, as Rob says, find some way to help them help themselves. A witch hunt is not what this should be about. I would just like to document where we currently stand with abandoned/vacant buildings on and around H St. then we can chart a course as to where we want to go next and how we want to get there. Encouraging owners to make improvements to their abandoned/vacant properties is aboslutely the first step and finding out who where the properties are and who owns them is how we need to start. Anonymous, as for not listing any of Formants properties this isn't a list of shame, it's a list of which properties are abandoned/vacant. Why shouldn't we list which ones are in this state and who owns them? This is all public information freely available online at the DC government website.
Now, if after we have put together a list and made initial contact with folks encouraging this change and they tell us to "go to hell- I'll do what the heck I want with my abandoned property" (not saying they will, just using this as an example) then we will have to decide what to do then. It's important, though, that we know where we stand. I've only been contacted by one person interested in helping so far. If there are others who would like to help with this photographic record please do email me (charlesscottelliott@yahoo.com) so we can start planning how to go about doing this.
Anonymous:
No need for sarcasm. I'm only trying to be helpful and help us avoid mistakes I've seen other neighborhood groups make in the past.
Example:
The link to the website you gave shows a property at 406 H Street as being owned by John C Formant. And your email indicates that Formant owns this property.
City records indicate that may not be true. It's owned by Jenkins Hill Properties, which I assume isn't some front company for Formant (I could be wrong). There's a pretty good chance Formant just manages this property, and as such they don't make the final decision on what condition the property is in.
The mailing address in city records is In Care Of Formant. That's not the same as ownership. That's a very typical arrangement that management companies have.... they get mail for an out of town property owner.
We can't just assume because we see a Formant sign on a property that Formant actually controls the conditions at the property.
Perhaps the owner won't authorize Formant to do any repairs? Who knows? The proper way to find out is to inquire before posting information that is inflammatory.
It's anonymous messages without obvious substantiation that make a web forum and by extension an awful lot of hardworking people lose credibility pretty quickly.
And I never said property owners don't have an obligation to keep their places presentable. Quite the contrary. So please don't put words in my mouth.
And you never really said what you think should be done with 406 H Street or any of the other properties you've said Formant owns.
I believe the DC government practice of "bundling" it's properties and selling them to developers is called the "Home Again" initiative. One of the caveats is that the developer has to set aside a certain percentage for those with low to moderate incomes. This program has been very active in Ivy City.
As for John Formant, there was an article in the Hill Rag a few years back which interviewed him and I believe he stated that he got his start buying properties in the H St corridor, so I think he does own rather than manage, many of the properties that carry his name in that neck of the woods.
Charles and Rob,
Feel free to post 337 H St NE on your site. I personally spoke with the owner asking her to fix up that property. I think the owner of SOVA (which I am very excited about) approached her about renting the place and she turned him down.
Sometimes they really just don't care, (there is always a pile of trash next to the property) which is why you have to give them a change of heart. I have found going through the wallet is a very effective way to get there. Let’s get the assessments to where they should be and make sure vacant properties are taxed at the 5% rate.
Todd
it's probably a good idea to approach on owner first, and then, if they don't work to help modify conditions, go for another tactic.
you simply can't truly rely on distric housing records. they're not always up to date.
about the owners not caring....
there are quite a few folks on H street that own properties (particularly the 400 block) that really don't care. From what i understand, both sides of H on the 300 block have been purchased (except for the liquor store on the corner of 3rd and H - they wouldn't sell), and slated for development.
i'll tell you what though... if i were a developer, i'd sort of wait until the 400 block got it's act together...
slightly off-topic, but a related to the reasons we're trying to clean up 'the hood'. see wednesday's posting on dcmud.blogspot.com...
Understand this is only my personal opinions, not taking any official action as ANC Commissioner...sorry for the long post. I'm happy to discuss any of this further with people organizing this commendable effort.
It is a great idea to call out owners of dilapidated buildings along H Street--and although contacting the owners may be a good courtesy, there is no legal requirement to do so prior to posting information & pictures. It's all a matter of public record.
I would recommend against doing the same for residential structures unless they are clearly vacant (for example, boarded up, etc.).
On the issue of posting pictures--showing the physical condition of properties is completely fair game. There is no privacy right in conditions that are in clear view of the public (looking in a private residence's window is of course something else entirely). Basically, it boils down to there is no expectation of privacy in the outside condition of a building. Same goes for any signs in the window. Finally, I submit that the visible interiror of commercial spaces is fair game--the whole purpose of windows on a retail corridor is so that people can look in. This is also why buildings under construction or renovation often have the windows painted or soaped.
It is very true that signs in the window may not reflect ownership status--though it is fair to show/refer to the sign & list the contact information. Again, the person/entity displaying the sign is already making this information public. You're actually helping them advertise the building's availability.
I suggest definitely sticking to the facts as far as the core posts, though it is okay to allow people to express their OPINIONS--as long as they are clearly stated as such (I would disclaim other's posts as their opinion, not the views of the people running the site).
You could handle the potential for errors/omissions in DC records by clearly identifying the source of the information and having a disclaimer that the information comes from DC government public records, and the accuracy and completeness of the information has not been verified (you have no obligation to do so).
Best,
Alan Kimber
Alan:
You raise some valid points, but I'm not really sure the minimum legal requirements should be what we strive for.
And why not include residential (and storefront churches)? If our intent is to embarrass people, which it seems to be, why differentiate?
I think if you want to consider yourself a good neighbor you have an obligation to contact the owner of a property before you embark on a campaign to embarrass them.
And, yes, you do have an obligation to try to verify if the information on ownership is correct. You may or may not have a legal obligation, but since it's apparently common knowledge that DC records aren't always accurate I would think that simply relying on these records and not doing anything to verify them isn't really fair. If I was misidentified as a property owner on H Street and residents posted my name in error, sullying my reputation, relying on DC records which they knew may be false, then I'd be pretty pissed, especially if they made no effort to contact me first.
I'm all for identifying problem properties, as we've got more than our share. But this smells a bit like a witch hunt if you don't do it right.
And if such a list is compiled you need to decide what it is you want owners to do. Simply saying their building is in disrepair and calling them names without positive suggestions isn't really helpful.
Down on Barracks Row we found contacting owners directly to be quite helpful. And it didn't pit us residents in a confrontational battle with businesses.
I'd strongly suggest a serious campaign to contact owners first (including verifying who the actual owner is) before you embark on the Bad Business Person Marking Campaign. It's the right thing to do from a neighborly standpoint, it'll help you identify which owners are helpful and which aren't.
As much as I hate to sink to cliches, you really do 'catch more flies with honey than with vinegar'. So try the honey first, then try the vinegar.
The changes on H Street itself are going to be massive over the next couple of years. And rest assured that the business community will remember a campaign like the one you all are proposing. And if they feel they are being targeted unfairly without notice then that will come back to bite the neighborhood in the end.
There's an awful lot of things that can be done on H Street in many of these commercial structures as a matter of right, and if you unnecessarily piss off merchants you may very will find them putting in uses that you may find not to your liking. The short term gain you may get from embarrassing merchants may be dwarfed by the ill will you generate, and the very real consequences that some deep pocket merchants may enact.
As a disclaimer, I own nothing on H Street, and I don't know anyone that does. I'm simply telling you what my reaction would be if I was the target of such a campaign without the residents first trying to work with me on a personal basis.
Hillman, I think you misread that one post because I don't think anonymous said that Formant owned the building at 406 H St. It's just that his name is associated with it. Or am I misreading it?
Hillman, I assume you have no problem with us raising the assessments to where they should be and having these people pay their fair share or taxes?
It should not matter who owns the property, they can pay the 5% tax (on a fair market value) if they want to keep it vacant and dilapidated, and that is their right. My fear is tracking down all the owners would take too long. How would one go about doing that for a vacant property?
Even the buildings that are occupied are taxed too low. I mean look at 402 H Street where the value of the improvement is $88,980. You have to admit that that is absurdly low for a three story apartment building. I wonder who owns that one?
Business people with deep pockets did not make their money putting in unpopular business and if they start they will not have deep pockets for long.
Hillman:
You also raise some very valid points. You correctly observe that I was commenting on minimum (or slightly above) legal standards.
The issue with residential properties is that there are generally more protections afforded to private citizens than businesses. I don't know that there needs to be different treatment for storefront churches.
Your comments on being good neighbors are valid, but I do think that the property owners (especially commercial along H Street) have clearly indicated that they just don't care about the community. This is another reason not to target residential properties.
I disagree that there is an obligation to verify, other than out of neighborly concern. Citizens are entitled to rely upon public records, though a disclaimer is advisable.
I completely agree that positive requests for what folks want the property owners to do are needed. I think the ultimate point of what people are discussing is to get the owners (or the city) to do something to improve the properties, not just to embarrass people.
As far as creating long-term backlash with merchants, I don't think the neglectful property owners are the ones who are going to opening businesses along H Street.
Finally, all of this is why I appreciate this public posting board--we're all free to share our opinions, and I definitely appreciate yours.
Best,
Alan Kimber
Hillman, I have no suggestion for what Formant's building should be. I appreciate a more organic type of transition in emerging areas. What I do want though is Formant (and all other vacant property owners) to pay appropriate taxes for their vacant structures. I think it's frustrating for the community to watch their property taxes on their homes increase each year while vacant property owners get a free ride. But really, this is a problem with city agencies and not really the building owners fault. Who among us would call the city to question if our property taxes were increasing 3%/year while all of our neighbors' were going up 20%/year? I think what Rob and Charles are organizing is important so the taxation office can start classifying properties appropriately.
Hillman:
I'm not sure if you actually read what I wrote in my previous comment, but I specifically said that 1) we are going to contact owners and ask them what their plans are, be they commercial or residential and only if the property is clearly abandonded/vacant and 2) we DID NOT want this to be a witch hunt. Here's the first part of what I said in my previous post:
"I am not for "hunting" down owners at all. I'd just like to get in touch with people and, as Rob says, find some way to help them help themselves. A witch hunt is not what this should be about."
All:
Yes, I do think the vacant property tax rate is a very useful thing. By all means we should identify those and ask the city to reclassify those that should be reclassified, especially if the property owner is unresponsive.
Although, to play Devil's advocate, one could theoretically argue that the city allowed conditions on H Street to deteriorate to the point that abandoning your business was the only real option. Perhaps some of these business owners aren't aware that that may no longer be the case.
But even if having an active business in the space wasn't viable you as a business owner have a duty to keep the place secured and well lit (that's my pet peeve - owners that refuse to have decent lighting..... that's actually a problem even with places with a thriving business in them).
But, yes, the higher tax rate does have a lot of usefulness if used judiciously.
As for 406 H St, the website it is featured on (which is a website dedicates soley to embarrassing Formant) identifies it as being managed AND owned by Formant.
As for tracking down owners, I'd say the considerable majority should be relatively easy to contact, at least by mail if not in person. Some may be more difficult.
As for unpopular businesses.... they may be unpopular but they can certainly be profitable. There's an awful lot of money in half-way houses and drug treatment facilities. Tons, in fact. The profit margins on some of these outfits is stunning (in part because they often have overly-cosy relationships with various DC agencies passing out money to them).
And it wouldn't really matter to the property owner - they don't live here, and if they are running a half-way house they aren't relying on the neighbors for business, as the city will supply them with an endless stream of clients forever.
And the city LOVES these facilities and generally approves them every time. And remember that business owners on H Street sometimes own residential structures on the surrounding streets as well. I may be wrong, as I haven't checked in a while, but the same types of uses are often not only allowed in residential, they are encouraged.
I'm no expert on zoning matters, and if someone else knows more than I I'd be happy to be educated. But that's been my impression of how it works in DC.
Charles:
Yes, I did read your post, and I did see that your plan seemed to address some of the very points I was making. In fact, yours seems a very well-reasoned plan.
But there's already at least one other website dedicated to this topic already, with no apparent attempts to contact the owners and with possibly erroneous info (as seen in the link provided early on by Anonymous).
My concern was that other similar but much more comprehensive listings would be compiled without the steps you are taking, like the one proposed for just Formant properties. These things often take on a life of their own, far beyond the original compilation efforts.
Hillman and Charles,
Could you please email me directly? I would like to ask your help with my "official" attempts to deal with these types of issues.
Even if you are not in my district, this is something that we're trying to coordinate all along H Street, not just my immediate area.
It would be really great to have your input. I already have contact information for Todd and Rob.
My email address is alan [at] alankimber [dot] org
Best,
Alan Kimber
Commissioner, ANC 6C05
Couple of things guys:
Richard's site (the one linked to above) actually covers a very wide range of topics. That one post on neglect was only one post. And by the way, though not much has been done with that building, it has been hit with a little paint recently, so it looks a bit better.
Charles:
I should also apologize to you for not making it clear much sooner that my concerns were not with your plan. That was sloppy blogging on my part, and I apologize.
Hillman:
No worries at all. We are all pulling for the same thing and hopefully we will all be able to work together for the same outcome: a neighborhood with less abandoned/vacant buildings that is a nicer and safer place to live. You mentioned that there was at least one other website devoted to this topic. Do you happen to have that web address? I'd like to have a look and see what's out there already so we make sure we are not duplicating efforts and also making sure we are doing things correctly instead of just roasting people for no reason without having contacted them first. I am going to be out strolling around today on H with my camera and a clipboard to start things off. If anyone would like to join I'm going to start at H and 3rd and work my way down. Also, I've printed off the pages on the DCRA website that lists vacant properties: http://dcra.dc.gov/dcra/frames.asp?doc=/dcra/lib/dcra/information/vacant/vacantp.pdf&group=1697&open=|33466. Ward 6 is from pages 18-22 out of 30 pages if anyone wants to print off a copy. My initial plan is to start with our commom denominator: H St and then work my way both north and South taking pictures. Once I have established a picture database we will start contacting owners with a form letter that I could use some help in crafting, but I think we are going to get together with Alan Kimber to discuss this issue and how we can move forward together. This is going to be a huge undertaking so we will need all the help we can get. Again, only a couple of people have expressed an interest in helping out, but I know there are more people than that who have expressed their opinions about it in this comment segment alone. Please, if you are interested in helping email me or Robb or Alan. My email address is charlesscottelliott@yahoo.com. As for anonymous postings do us all a favor and let us know who you are if only so that we know who we are talking to. It's very easy to post things without backing them up with your name, but it would give you much more credibility if you were willing to assist in this effort.
Cheers all
Charles:
I was referring to this website... http://tinyurl.com/yv3a4j
It only lists one property.
Alan: I appreciate the invite to assist in this project, but I'm afraid at this time I must be the most heinous of residents - the loud talker on the blog who won't actually do any work.
I just don't have the time necessary to commit to assist with this project at this time. And the last thing you need is someone who doesn't have the time to assist properly.
No worries, Hillman. I wanted to make sure I reached out to you, because you've posted lots of thoughtful comments on the issue.
Best,
Alan Kimber
Commissioner, ANC 6C05
FYI, You can also report vacant properties to the DCRA at 202.442.4400.
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