Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-17
BUILT ON WRONG LOT;
NOW OWNS A SECOND
Thomas J. D. Fuller Discovers
His House Was Not Located
Right Years Ago.

Some weeks ago Thomas J. D. Fuller
wrote to the District authorities calling
to their attention the condition of the
vacant lot adjoining his house on Ash.
mead place. north of Kalorama road
The vegetation, as Mr.. Fuller pointed
out, was rank in growth and its influence
on health. he thought, was not good
at this early period in the season there.
fore he wished the proper officials te
take the necessary action to remedy the
condition.
The response almost stunned Mr. Fuller
for he received an official notification
as the owner of the lot in question. that
a nuisance existed there and that he
must remove it or suffer the penalties
in such cases as provided.
Mr.. Fuller FASTENED to reply, and nc
doubt there was tinge Of sarcasm
when he informed the learned men at the
District building that they were mis-
taken in supposing he owned the lot
But he made it quite plain that he owned
the adjoining lot where he had his home
and what was more he wanted the mat
ter given attention.
Built House on Wrong Lot.
He supposed that the affair was ended
But the District authorities were soon
able to make clear to Mr.. Fuller that he
did not know which lot he owned. and
even though his home stood there and
had been there for some twenty years
Mr.. Fuller was soon convinced that he
had not built his house on his own lot
When he bought the property he hat
been given the wrong location but the
he
! the house on the adjoining lot. he wa.
assessed on the tax books for the lo
which he did own, and the record at the
District office also showed his house hat
been built on the same lot.
1t thus happened during the twenty
years or more that Mr.. Fuller has beer
living there that he has paid taxes or
the lot adjoining his house, and the owner
of the lot on which Mr.. Fuller's house
stands has been paying the taxes on tn.
lot which appears on the District book:
as unimproved.
1t is evident when the city surveyor:
men went out, years ago, to locate Mr.
Fuller's lot, when the section was en-
tirely undeveloped, they came as near a:
possible to finding the right lot, but they
struck the adjacent property, instead.
Now Owns Both Lots.
AS the case now stands. under the law
of adverse possession, Mr.. Fuller is sale
to own the lot as well as the house or
which it stands, so that the prospect OF
the effect of the growth of vegetation
in the vicinity of his house is responsible
for the discovery that he owns two lots
| instead of one. 1t is probable he soon
would have been undeceived in another
way, since the owner of the adjoining lot
at the northeast corner of Kalorama
road and Ashmead place wants to i'm
prove the broad frontage by erecting q
large apartment building there.
An architect representing Samuel Nc
Milan the owner of the corner property
was in the city recently, and in looking
over the situation he stumbled upon the
astonishing state of affairs. In this way
it came to the knowledge of Mr. Mc~fl-
Ian that, instead of owning two vacant
lots, as he supposed. one of his lots has
house upon it. Mr.. Mcmillan formerly
was a representative in Congress from
New York
1t is probable that the matter will be
adjusted to the satisfaction of all par
ties, but No change has been made OF
is likely to be made in the decision Of the
District authorities that Mr.. Fuller will
have to see that the weeds do not reach
a rank growth on his lot.