227 Bates Street NW- You have got to be kidding me

227 Bates St NW 7/24/2016

A while back I mentioned 227 Bates St NW only briefly. I tend to forget things but looking on Redfin I noticed it was up for sale.

It's listed for $1.2 million.

For a shell.

A shell.

You have got to be f'ing kidding me.

Truxton Circle does have million dollar homes. They tend to be move in ready. They are not shells. Sometimes they have roof decks. There are no million dollar shells unless there is something super special about this place, which I doubt.

In December 2015 it was sold for $617,000.  That's not an unreasonable price for a shell, if the plan is to divide and develop it into two high end condos with a bunch of bells and whistles and a deck off the kitchen. I'm not a fan of dividing things into condos, but that's how that price makes sense. But the $1.2 mil price for a shell, a shell that the owner and listing agent felt no need to take their own photo, but just one from Google Street View. I don't think that's a serious price.

The new owner now owes over $10K in property taxes for 2016 and as you may see from the pictures it has the vacant sticker of shame, so it is being taxed at the vacant rate. So that million does not cover a high tax bill.

There is a permit #PC30723628 issued 12/12/15 for interior demo.

I could delve deeper into why there is an Eagle Bank sign out front or the LLC on the unit block of S St NW that owns this, but it doesn't seem worth it.

WAMU covers a vacant property owner- DC Government

See Anacostia Resident's Fed Up With Negligent Property Owner- DC Government
There is a quote:

"The last thing our neighbors here in Anacostia want is for us to dispose of a property to someone who just sits on it and doesn't do what they committed and promised to do."

Well that someone happens to be the DC government. Residents don't like it when private owners do it, when banks do it, or when a government body (DC or National Park Service, etc) does it. So who is doing it doesn't matter, people living next to a vacant property aren't calmed with the knowledge that DC government, DHCD in this case is the owner. It may even be worse because you can't charge DC government the vacant rate, the purpose of which is to incentivize owners to make property not vacant. DHCD has no incentive for a quick turnaround or repair.

What residents want it for it not to be a vacant/blighted property.  Some may want to keep it out of the hands of developers. Others would want DC owned property to help with homelessness or other housing problem. The fact DC government is the property owner does not automatically make things better. 

454 N St NW- update

Well this DC Government property has been on this blog since January 2014 and 2 years later it looks like it is getting fixed up and may join the land of the living. According to the DC Property Tax database the DC government purchased this thing back in September 2004.

If you look back at the old 2014 post, you can see from the photo that the building was boarded up, with peeling paint and the yard was a mess.

So if the government got it in 2004 and waited until 2016 to do something, something being sell it or have a non-profit or a developer do something, that's 12 friggin years of being an eyesore, and nuisance. Twelve years.

Is it me or does 12 years seem too long?

Well I'm glad this and possibly the neighboring property are possibly coming back to use as someone's home. Finally.

1001 11 St NW-2016 update

Well the billboard is down.

This is a Jemal, Douglas Jemal property so there is no point of complaining about it.

Jemal does what he wants, when he damned well feels like it.

So there is no point of me looking at DCRA or the Tax Office or where ever. No point. Jemal does not react to vacant tax rates. Those higher taxes will just get paid by whomever leases the property in the future. Not worth hatin' the playa' 'cause he knows how to play the game.

The former owner of this blog Ed mentioned this property back in 2007. The property was serving a a big ole billboard. If you go on Google Streetview there is an Apple iPhone ad up. Now, today it is down and it looks like Dougie is doing something.

I'll have to check back in a year or two and see if he thrown up a huge shiny expensive glass building that covers up the "Hostel" sign.  Because that is what Dougie Doug does (say that 5x fast).