DPW to notify Landlords before fines for trash violations

Doesn't it seem unfair that DC landlords with smaller apartment houses are unfairly penalized by the Department of Public Works (DPW) with compounding trash violations just because ... they're small and do not have the budgets to hire groundskeepers or on-site maintenance staff.

This is my own true story and the scenario for many of my colleagues ... There is a tenant in your 4-unit building who is selling drugs, but he/she hasn't been arrested yet. You notice that mattresses, lamps, broken lawnmowers and other "drug stash spots" are consistently appearing in your back yard. You continue to pay to get the debris removed as soon as you find out about it, but the other tenants are not snitching and the drug-selling tenant is determined to move forward with his/her operation.

A DPW inspector comes and writes you a citation for $75 on September 1st for trash ... and another on September 12th ... and another on October 5th. You receive all of these notices after Thanksgiving and now you owe about $4,000 in fines because you are a repeat offender (even though you were in the dark the whole time not being notified) and the fines kept doubling and doubling.

We the undersigned respectfully request that Department of Public Works (DPW) amend its policy to require that its inspectors contact DC Landlords by phone while onsite observing trash violations at all 2-unit to 8-unit apartment houses giving them an opportunity to cure the violation before assessing the fine.

In these austere times, LUM Members cannot continue to standby. Let's partner and create a win-win for both sides DC landlords with smaller apartment houses as well as DPW.

Michael T. Kornegay    Contact the author of the petition