Washington
- No response from embassy on disappearance of notice.
- Structure declared “blighted property” by local authorities.
- Owner might have to pay fine of $500 on removal of notice.
WASHINGTON: The notice for property classification of a Pakistan Embassy-owned historic building in Washington has disappeared, it emerged on Monday.
Last week, the crumbling building‘s status had been downgraded by the government of the District of Columbia for its deteriorated condition, while the notice put up outside the building in this regard also stated a warning of a $500 fine against taking the notice down.
However, no action or statement in response to the violation has come to light as yet from the embassy.
The ancient, and now crumbling building owned by the Pakistani government, has been up for sale for the past few months. The downgrade, however, has inevitably increased taxes on the property’s assessed value as well.
According to official papers made public to The News, the local government modified the property’s class classification. It is situated on Washington, D.C.’s renowned R Street. The structure was a chancery in the past and was put up for sale late last year.
Later, the Pakistani government terminated the entire bidding procedure. middle of the city, the best bidder made an offer of $6.8 million. The benchmark price for the pre-auction appraisal of the structure on a “as is” basis was established at $4.5 million.
The structure has lain empty for well over a decade. Additionally, the building’s diplomatic status was terminated in 2018, making it subject to local taxation.
The following is mentioned as the real estate categorization in accordance with these construction codes:
Class 1 includes improved residential real estate that is inhabited and utilised only for non-transient residential dwelling purposes, Class 2 includes commercial real estate, Class 3 includes vacant real estate, and Class 4 includes blighted real estate.
According to official papers from the District of Columbia, the Pakistani government did not get any tax relief on the property starting in 2018. Due to the building’s usage as a business space in 2018 and 2019, it was initially classified as Class 2. Due to the fact that it remained empty from 2020 to 2022 for three years, it was subsequently moved into Class 3.
The building’s property classification was further reduced at the end of last month, and it is currently listed as Class 4 due to its deteriorating state.
The neighbourhood council’s
The following criteria are used by the building department to make its decision:
The structure is it boarded up?
Are the windows, doors, and other openings secure and weather-tight?
Are there any holes, graffiti, or decaying materials on the outer walls?
Do paint or other weather-coating materials protect all exposed metal and wood surfaces from rot?
Are all the porches, signage, and similar structures secure and reliable?
It’s also important to note that Class 3 and Class 4 are taxed at $5 and $10.00 per $100 of assessed value, respectively. The Pakistani embassy would be required to pay more taxes on a property that is constantly losing value.
The building was neglected and ended up degrading while being in good shape.
