WDCAR: Washington, DC Association of REALTORS®: Public Policy

Washington, DC Association of REALTORS® - a state level association

PUBLIC POLICY

Call to Action!
Oppose the Vacant Property Registration Fee!
Hearings Begin April 28

April 27, 2010

Starting April 28, the District Council will begin hearing testimony on Mayor Fenty's budget proposal to create a new $250 - $5,000 Vacant Property Registration Fee.

The initial registration fee will be $250.
The renewal registration fee for the first renewal year will be $500.
The renewal registration fee for the second renewal year will be $1,000.
The renewal registration fee for the third renewal year will be $2,500.
The renewal registration fee for the fourth renewal year will be $5,000.
The revenue created by this potential fee is staggering - almost $8 million in just over 4 years.

The following existing exemptions WOULD BE ELIMINATED in the Mayor's proposals:

For Sale properties, For Rent properties, newly-constructed properties, properties under active construction, properties that are subject to probate, and properties subject to fire, flood, or other casualty.

Your REALTOR^® Associations plan on testifying before the following Committees:

Wednesday, April 28 at 10 a.m.		Committee on Finance and Revenue - Room 500
Monday, May 3 at 1 p.m.		Committee on Public Services - Room 412
Thursday, May 6 at 10 a.m.		Committee on Economic Development - Room 412
Friday, May 7 at 10 a.m.		Committee of the Whole - Room 500

Our testimony will state:

Our OPPOSITION to a Vacant Property Registration Fee.
Our desire for the District to focus its attention on blighted properties.
Our belief that Properties with Code Violations lead to blight; not "vacant" properties.
Our concerns that this Vacant Fee is nothing more than a revenue-raising tool.

If you are interested in testifying or attending, please contact Ed Krauze, Vice President of Public Policy, at: ekrauze@gcaar.com.

REALTORS^® and their clients need to be able to list their properties without having to worry about paying a Vacant Property Registration - in effect A LISTING TAX. Contact a DC Councilmember today. Tell them:

NO to a Vacant Property Registration Fee
NO to a de facto Listing Tax
NO to the District grabbing more money from property owners

E-mail all Councilmembers at: dccouncil@dccouncil.us

To contact individual Councilmembers:

Council Chair Vince Gray: vgray@dccouncil.us - 202-724-8032

At-Large Councilmember Michael Brown: mbrown@dccouncil.us - 202-724-8105

At-Large Councilmember Kwame Brown: kbrown@dccouncil.us - 202-724-8174

At-Large Councilmember David Catania: dcatania@dccouncil.us - 202-724-7772

At-Large Councilmember Phil Mendelson: pmendelson@dccouncil.us - 202-724-8064

Ward 1 Councilmember Jim Graham: jgraham@dccouncil.us - 202-724-8181

Ward 2 Councilmember Jack Evans: jevans@dccouncil.us - 202-724-8058

Ward 3 Councilmember Mary Cheh: mcheh@dccouncil.us - 202-724-8062

Ward 4 Councilmember Muriel Bowser: mbowser@dccouncil.us - 202-724-8052

Ward 5 Councilmember Harry Thomas, Jr.: hthomas@dccouncil.us - 202-724-8028

Ward 6 Councilmember Tommy Wells: twells@dccouncil.us - 202-724-8072

Ward 7 Councilmember Yvette Alexander: yalexander@dccouncil.us - 202-724-8068

Ward 8 Councilmember Marion Barry: mbarry@dccouncil.us - 202-724-8045

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