Evening star., 1954-05-14
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SET Standards
In S|um Law
O'Horo Agrees Bill
Should Tell Owners
Exactly What to Do

Witnesses on the bill giving
the District power to force repair
or removal of condemned insani.
tary buildings today called for
fixed standards written into the
law so a property owner will
know where he stands.
Chairman O'Hara of a House
District subcommittee consider
ing the bill said after the hear
ing that he personally thought
standards should be included in
the law because the requirements
for repair now seem to be "whim-
Sical and uncertain"
After three sessions of testi.
mony the subcommittee con-
cluded It's public hearings and
decided to have an executive ses-
sion with Corporation Counsel
Vernon E. West to consider re-
viSing the measure.
Testimony Conflicts.
The subcommittee is hearing
conflicting testimony on the con-
stitutionality of the measure and
on whether repairs could be
made economically enough to
continue the buildings life.
Mr.. West contended the law
for the condemnation of lnsani-
tary buildings had been held
constitutional by the U. S Court
of Appeals for the District OF
Columbia. Thomas w. Parks,
attorney and real estate man.
contended that the Court of APP
peals had not ruled on this
issue and that he believed it
unconstitutional.
On the economic question.
Herman Schmidt. representing
the Home Buildings Association
of Metropolitan Washington,
said he had remodeled buildings
far beyond the minimum re-
ouirements and found it was
economical to make these re-
pairs.
Repairs Average $500.
Raymond r. Rupert. real
estate man and property owner.
who said he had probably re-
paired more condemned prop
erty than anyone else, said the
Board for Condemnation of In
sanitary Buildings was requiring
repairs at an average cost of
$500 when the required repairs
used to amount to about $500.
AS a result, he said, less than Is
per cent of the buildings con-
demned during the last two
years are being rehabilitated.
James E. Scott, who said he
represented a number of land
lords, called for a definition Of
what constitutes insanitary.
urged that responsibility for in
sanitary conditions be shared by
the tenant and argued that prop
erty owners are completely un-
certain as to what changes will
ultimately be demanded by in
spectors.
He said the defects first listed
are only the beginning and that
new requirements keep being
added so that a property owner
does not know what the repair
will ultimately cost him.
Seeks Appeal Board.
William S. Harps, real estate
appraiser and property manager.
said he believed that require
ments for repair should not be
a matter of opinion, but should
: be spelled out in the law. He
also called for a board including
members of the public and right
of appeal to an appeal board
made up of unbiased laymen.
Mr.. Schmidt made the strong
est appeal for the bill at today's
hearing. He contended that con-
demned buildings did not get that
way overnight and were the re-
suit of milking these buildings
for generations" and deliberate
and continuous neglect"
w. B flanagan. who owns the
condemned buildings at SO Pat
terson street NE, complained
that he had barricaded his place
but a barricade had been ripped
off and he had caught young
sters stealing a radiator. He
asked for more protection. He
also complained that it would
cost him $500 to make the
house conform to the boards
standards.
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