I’ve written about 1483 Newton Street NW before, it’s a big, abandoned apartment building on an otherwise decent block. It’s been abandoned for some time, the city tried to buy it for $3.1 million in 2009, but that was squashed since it seems way too high for an abandoned building.
Finally through much digging and working with the city and Jim Graham, I found that it’s owned by “ROBERTA ONG ROUMEL TRUSTEE” with a Macarthur Blvd address, who apparently bought it (or was given it, it’s unclear) on January 11, 2011. (The link may not work, if not just type in the address.)
The place is assessed at about $1 million and is being taxed at the blighted property rate ($10 per every $100 assessed). The owners currently owe more than $130,000 in taxes from 2010 and 2011, including penalties, and if they don’t pay the building will go on the tax sale list. They were also fined $2,000 for not registering it as an abandoned building.
Of course, going on the tax sale means someone has to buy it and fix it up, but it’s a start. If it does go on the tax sale list, the owners are notified in April, the list is published in May, and the sale is done in July. Unfortunately the city can’t just seize it if it’s delinquent.
Here’s what happened to track this info down — per a reader’s email, I first asked Councilmember Graham, who let me know some of the backstory and asked DCRA about taxes. At the same time I emailed the Office of Tax and Revenue, who said the taxes were being paid, which I found hard to believe since they would have had to pay $100,000 on an abandoned building — no small change. Graham then got in touch with DCRA, who confirmed that taxes had not been paid and it was delinquent. The city’s condemnation board discussed the property, but I’m not sure what they agreed to do, the agenda is unclear. I’ll follow up on that.
Thanks to everyone who helped from DC Government and to Jim Graham. Let’s hope this place goes on the tax list and is sold to someone who develops it into something good for the neighborhood.
If you’d like to check on a property, the city’s Taxpayer Service Center can give you assessment and ownership information, and at the bottom of the page for a property there’s a link to the tax information: this link under the Real Property Service Center. This is what the info looks like, and you can see the tax links on the bottom. Click for a bigger version:
UPDATE: A little googling finds a Roberta Roumel who owns Roumel Properties, and she’s listed elsewhere around the metro area as a property owner. Hmmm.
