An Act to amend the act entitled ""An Act to create a Board for the Condemnation of Insanitary Buildings in the District of Columbia, and for other purposes,"" approved May 1, 1906, as amended, and for other purposes
PL 83-681 (H.R.6127), enacted 08/28/1954

884 
PUBLIC LAW 681-AUG. 28, 1954 
[68 S T A T . 
Public Law 681 
CHAPTER 1032 
August 28, 1954 
[H. R. 6127] 
AN ACT 
To amend the Act entitled "An Act to create a Board for the Condemnation of 
Insanitary Buildings in the District of Columbia, and for other purposes", 
approved May 1, 1906, as amended, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
bididuj* 3"*"*^*"^ United States of America in Congress assemhled^ That the Act entitled 
"An Act to create a board for the condemnation of insanitary build-
ings in the District of Columbia, and for other purposes", approved 
May 1, 1906 (34 Stat. 157; title 5, ch. 6, D. C. Code, 1951 edition), as 
amended, is amended to read as follows: 
Investigation. 
"That the Commissiouers of the District of Columbia are authorized 
to examine into the sanitary condition of all buildings in said District, 
to, condemn those buildings which are in such insanitary condition as 
to endanger the health or lives of the occupants thereof or persons liv-
ing in the vicinity, and to cause all buildings to be put into sanitary 
condition or to be demolished and removed, as may be required by the 
provisions of this Act. 
The Commissioners may authorize and direct 
the performance of the duties imposed on them by this Act by such 
officers, agents, employees, contractors, employees of contractors, and 
other persons as may be designated, detailed, employed, or appointed 
by the said Commissioners to carry out the purposes of this Act. 
The 
Commissioners or their designated agent or agents are authorized to 
investigate, through personal inquiry and inspection, into the sanitary 
condition of any building or part of a building in said District, except 
such as are under the exclusive jurisdiction of the United States. The 
Commissioners, and all persons acting under their authority and the 
authority contained in this Act, may, between the hours of 8 o'clock 
antemeridian and 5 o'clock postmeridian, peaceably enter into and 
upon any and all lands and buildings in said District for the purpose 
of inspecting the same. 
"SEC. 2, (a) The Commissioners are directed to appoint or designate 
two separate boards, each to consist of not less than three members, to 
perform the duties and functions required by this Act, as follows: 
"(1) A Board for the Condemnation of Insanitary Buildings to 
examine into the sanitary condition of buildings in the District of 
Columbia, to determine which such buildings are in such insanitary 
condition as to endanger the lives or health of the occupants thereof 
or of persons living in the vicinity, and to issue appropriate orders 
of condemnation requiring the correction of such condition or con-
ditions or to require the demolition of any building, in accordance with 
the provisions of this Act. 
"(2) A Condemnation Review Board, no member of which shall act 
as a member of the Board for the Condemnation of Insanitary Build-
ings, to review, upon written request, any order of condemnation 
issued by the Board for the Condemnation of Insanitary Buildings, 
and to affirm, modify, or vacate such order of condemnation if the 
Condemnation Review Board shall find that the sanitary condition 
of the building under examination requires the affirmation, modifica-
tion, or vacation of such order of condemnation. 
The Condemna-
tion Review Board shall consist of at least three members and an 
alternate member for each of said members, at least two-thirds of such 
members and at least two-thirds of such alternate members to be resi-
dents of the District of Columbia and to be selected from among the 
persons designated under subsection (c) of this section, and not more 
than one-third of such members and one-third of such alternate mem-
bers may be employed by the government of the District of Columbia. 
"(b) A majority of the members of each of the boards established 
B o a r d for 
the 
c o n d e tn nation of 
insanitary b u i l d -
ings. 
C o n d e m n ation 
Review Board. 
Quorum* 
68 STAT.] 
PUBLIC LAW 681-AUG- 28, 1954 
885 
by subsection (a) of this section shall constitute a quorum, and a 
majority vote of the members present shall be required in connection 
with any act of either of the said boards. No person shall act as a 
member of either of the said boards who has any property interest, 
direct or indirect, in his own right or through relatives or kin, in the 
building the sanitary condition of which is under consideration. 
" (c) The Commissioners shall designate a number of real property mJ^b'"/shSu"* ^°' 
owning residents of the District of Columbia, not employed by the 
government of the District of Columbia or the Government of the 
United States, each of whom from time to time shall be designated 
by the Commissioners to act as a member or an alternate meniber of 
the Condemnation Review Board established under the authority of 
subsection (a) of this section. Each such person shall be entitled to 
^^^' 
a fee of $25 for each day he is actually engaged in discharging his 
duties as a member of said Board, or as an alternate member acting 
in the place of a member. 
"(d) The several provisions of sections 1, 2, and 3 of the Act 
approved April 16,1932 (47 Stat. 86; sees. 4^601 to 4-603, D. C. Code, 
1951 edition), shall be applicable to and enforceable in any proceed-
ing conducted under the authority of this Act. 
Each person acting 
as a member of either of the boards required to be established by 
this section, and each alternate member when acting in the stead of 
the member for whom he is alternate, is hereby authorized to admin-
ister oaths to witnesses summoned in any proceeding conducted by 
either of the said boards. 
Any fee which may be paid any witness 
summoned to appear before either of the said boards shall be assessed 
as a tax against the property the condition of which is under inves-
tigation, such tax to be collected in the same manner as general taxes 
are collected in the District of Columbia: Provided, That whenever 
any order of condemnation is vacated or set aside, either by the Con-
demnation Review Board or by a court, the witness fee authorized 
by this subsection to be assessed against the property affected by such 
order of condemnation shall not be so assessed, but shall be paid by 
the Government of the District of Columbia. 
"SEC. 3. Whenever the Board for the Condemnation of Insanitary 
,ocedi^e'""°"°'* 
Buildings shall find that any building or part of building is in such 
insanitary condition as to endanger the health or lives of the occu-
pants thereof or persons living in the vicinity, the owner of such 
building shall be served with a notice requiring him to show cause, 
within a time to be specified in such notice, why such building or part 
of building should not be condemned. 
The time to be fixed in such 
notice shall not be less than ten days, exclusive of Sundays and legal 
holidays, after the date of service of said notice, unless the Board shall 
find that the insanitary condition of such building or part of building 
is such as to cause immediate danger to the health or lives of the 
occupants thereof or of persons living in the vicinity, in which case a 
lesser time may be specified in said notice. If within the time to show 
order, 
cause fixed by the Board, the owner shall fail to show cause sufficient 
in the opinion of the Board to prevent the condemnation of such build-
ing or part of building, the Board shall issue an order condemning 
such building or part of building and ordering the same to be put into 
sanitary condition or to be demolished and removed within a time to 
be specified in said order of condemnation, and shall cause a copy of 
such order to be served on the owner and a copy to be affixed to the 
building or part of building condemned. 
The Board shall give the 
owner reasonable time within which to put the building in sanitary 
condition, but such time shall be not less than six months after the 
date of service of said order on said owner, unless the Board shall find 
that the condition of said premises is such as to cause immediate 
886 
PUBLIC LAW 681-AUG. 28, 1954 
[68 ST AT^ 
Occupancy after 
c ondemnation. 
Repairs or dem-
olition. 
Cancellation 
of 
c o n d e t n n a t i o n 
order« 
V i o l a t i o n 
order* 
o f 
danger to the health or lives of the occupants thereof or of persons 
living in the vicinity, in which event the Board may fix a lesser time. 
From and after fifteen days, exclusive of Sundays or legal holidays, or 
within such additional time as may be fixed by the Board, after a copy 
of any order of condemnation has been affixed to any condemned 
building or part of building, no person shall occupy such building or 
part of building. 
"SEC. 4. No person having authority to prevent shall permit any 
building or part of building condemned to be occupied, except as 
specially authorized by the Board for the Condemnation of Insanitary 
Buildings under the authority contained in this Act, after fifteen 
days, exclusive of Sundays and legal holidays, or within such addi-
tional time as may be fixed by the Board, from and after the date of 
service of a copy of the order of condemnation on the owner of such 
building; or, if a copy of such order of condemnation has been affixed 
to the condemned building or part of building at a date subsequent to 
the date of service of the notice on the owner, after fifteen days, 
exclusive of Sundays and legal holidays, or within such additional 
time as may be fixed by the Board, from the date on which said copy 
of such order of condemnation was so affixed. 
"SEC. 5. The owner of any building or part of building condemned 
under the provisions of this Act shall, within the time specified by 
the Board for the Condemnation of Insanitary Buildings in the order 
of condemnation, or any extension of time which may be granted by 
the Board, (1) make such changes or repairs as will remedy the condi-
tions which led to the condemnation of such building or part of 
building, or (2) cause such building or part of building to be demol-
ished and removed: Provided^ That any owner repairing a building 
or part of building in accordance with the provisions of this Act shall 
be required to make only those repairs which are reasonably related 
to a correction of the insanitary condition or conditions found by said 
Board to exist in or about said building, and nothing in this Act shall 
be construed as authorizing the Board to require any repair not 
reasonably related to the correction of any insanitary condition in or 
about such building, or to require such building to be brought fully 
into conformity with the District of Columbia Building Code or other 
building regulations in effect at the time such repairs are made. 
Whenever any building is repaired or demolished in accordance with 
the requirements of this section, such repair or demolition shall be 
performed in such manner and under the authority of such permit 
as may be required by any applicable law or regulation. 
"SEC. 6. If the owner of any building or part of building condemned 
under the provisions of this Act shall make such changes or repairs 
as will remedy in a manner satisfactory to the Board for the 
Condemnation of Insanitary Buildings the conditions which led to 
the condemnation of such building or part of building, the order of 
condemnation shall be canceled and the building may again be occu-
pied. If the owner cannot make such changes or repairs within the 
period within which the owner may lawfully permit such building 
or part of building to be occupied under section 4 of this Act, but 
proceeds with such changes or repairs with reasonable diligence during 
such period, said Board may, by special order, extend from time to 
time the period within which the occupants of said building or part 
of building may remain therein, and within which the owner of such 
building may permit the said occupants so to remain. 
"SEC. 7. If the owner of any building or part of building condemned 
under the provisions of this Act shall fail to remedy in a manner 
satisfactory to the Board for the Condemnation of Insanitary Build-
ings the condition or conditions which led to the condemnation thereof, 
68 
S T A T . ] 
PUBLIC LAW 681-AUG. 28, 1954 
887 
by failing to cause such building or part of building to be put into 
sanitary condition or to be demolished and removed within the time 
specified by said Board in the order of condemnation or any extension 
thereof, he shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and be liable to 
the penalties provided by section 16 of this Act, and such building or 
part of building may be put into sanitary condition or be demolislied 
and removed under the direction of said Board, and the cost of such 
repairs or such demolition and removal, including the cost of making 
good damage to adjoining premises (except such as may have resulted 
from carelessness or willful recklessness in the demolition or removal 
of such building), and the cost of publication, if any, herein provided 
for, less the amount, if any, received from the sale of the old material, 
shall be assessed by the Commissioners of the District of Columbia as a 
tax against the premises on which such building or part of building 
was situated, such tax to be collected in the same manner as general 
taxes are collected in the District of Columbia: Provided., That the 
pendency of any review or appeal provided for by sections 13 and 14 
of this Act shall stay the operation of any order issued by said Board, 
unless said Board shall find that the condition of said premises is such 
as to cause immediate danger to the health or lives of the occupants 
thereof or of persons living in the vicinity. 
"SEC. 8. Whenever the Board for the Condemnation of Insanitary 
Buildings is in doubt as to the ownership of any building or part of 
a building, the condemnation of which is contemplated, because the 
title thereto is in litigation, said Board may notify all parties to the 
suit and may report the circumstances to the Commissioners of the 
District of Columbia, who may bring such circumstances to the 
attention of the court in w^hich such litigation is pending for the 
purpose of securing such order or decree as will enable said Board to 
continue such condemnation proceedings, and such court is hereby 
authorized to make such decrees and orders in such pending suit as 
may be necessary for that purpose. 
"SEC. 9. Whenever the title to any building or part of building is 
vested in a person non compos mentis, or a minor child or minor 
children without legal guardian, the Board for the Condemnation of 
Insanitary Buildings shall report that fact to the Commissioners of 
the District of Columbia, who shall take due legal steps to secure the 
appointment of a guardian or guardians for such person non compos 
mentis, or minor child or children aforesaid, for the purpose of the 
condemnation proceedings authorized by this Act, and any judge of 
the United States District Court for the District of Columbia is 
hereby authorized to appoint a guardian or guardians for such 
purpose. 
"SEC. 10. Any notice required by this Act to be served shall be 
deemed to have been served if delivered to the person to be notified, or 
if left at the usual residence or place of business of the person to be 
notified, with a person of suitable age and discretion then resident 
therein; or if no such residence or place of business can be found in 
the District of Columbia by reasonable search, if left with any person 
of suitable age and discretion employed therein at the office of any 
agent of the person to be notified, which agent has any authority or 
duty with reference to the land or tenement to which said notice 
relates; or if no such office can be found in said District by reasonable 
search, if forwarded by registered mail to the last known address of 
the person to be notified and not returned by the post office authorities; 
or if no address be known or can by reasonable diligence be ascer-
tained, or if any notice forwarded as authorized by the preceding 
clause of this section be returned by the post office authorities, if 
published on three consecutive days in a daily newspaper published 
Property in liti-
gation. 
Appointment o f 
g u a r d i a n for mi-
nors, etc. 
Service of notice* 
888 
PUBLIC LAW 681-AUG. 28, 1954 
[68 ST A T . 
Interference. 
Prohibition. 
Des tr ud t ion of 
affixed notice. 
Prohibition. 
Review of order. 
Appeal. 
in the District of Columbia; or if by reason of an outstanding unre-
corded transfer of title the name of the owner in fact cannot be 
ascertained beyond a reasonable doubt, if served on the owner of 
record in the manner hereinbefore in this section provided. 
Any 
notice to a corporation shall, for the purposes of this Act, be deemed 
to have been served on such corporation if served on the president, 
secretary, treasurer, general manager, or any principal officer of such 
corporation in the manner hereinbefore provided for the service of 
notices on natural persons holding property in their own right; and 
notice to a foreign corporation shall, for the purposes of this Act, be 
deemed to have been served if served on any agent of such corpora-
tion personally, or if left with any person of suitable age and discre-
tion residing at the usual residence or employed at the usual place of 
business of such agent in the District of Columbia. 
"SEC. 11. No person shall interfere with the Commissioners or 
with any person acting under authority and by direction of said 
Commissioners in the discharge of his lawful duties, nor hinder, pre-
vent, or refuse to permit any lawful inspection or the performance 
of any work authorized by this Act to be done by or by authority and 
direction of said Commissioners. 
"SEC. 12. No person shall, without the consent of the Board for 
the Condemnation of Insanitary Buildings, deface, obliterate, remove, 
or conceal any copy of any order of condemnation which has been 
affixed to any building or part of building by order of the said Board; 
and the owner and the person having custody of any building or part 
of building to which a copy or copies of any such order has been 
affixed shall, if said copy of said order has been to his knowledge 
defaced, obliterated, or removed, forthwith report that fact in w^riting 
to the Board (unless he has good reason to believe that such copy of 
such an order has been removed by authority of the Board), and if such 
copy of such order has been concealed, he shall forthwith expose the 
same to view. 
"SEC. 13. Any owner of property affected by an order of con-
demnation issued under the authority contained in this Act shall be 
entitled to a review of such order by the Condemnation Keview Board 
established by the Commissioners in accordance with the provisions 
of section 2 of this Act, upon making application to said Condemna-
tion Review Board, in Avriting, within fifteen days from the date on 
which such owner has been served notice of such order of condemna-
tion, and upon payment of a fee of $25. The said Condemnation 
Review Board shall be authorized by the Commissioners to affirm, 
modify, or vacate any order of condemnation issued under the author-
ity contained in this Act. 
"SEC. 14. The owner of any building or part of building condemned 
under the provisions of this Act niay, within fifteen days from the 
date on which such owner receives notice that such order of condemna-
tion has been reviewed by the Condemnation Review Board established 
in accordance with section 2 of this Act and has been affirmed or 
modified by such Board, appeal to the Municipal Court for the Dis-
trict of Columbia for the modification or vacation of said order of 
condemnation. 
The municipal court shall give precedence to any 
such case, shall hear the testimony adduced therein, shall view the 
building or part of building affected by said order of condemnation, 
and thereafter shall affirm, modify, or vacate said order. In any 
proceeding instituted in accordance with the provisions of this sub-
section, such proceeding shall be conducted by the judge only, and 
nothing herein contained shall be construed as authorizing or entitling 
the owner of property affected by such order of condemnation to a 
trial by jury. 
68 
S T A T . ] 
PUBLIC LAW 681-AUG. 28, 1954 
889 
"SEC. 15. Whenever any insanitary condition which has led to the 
condemnation of a building or part of building has been caused in 
any part by the action or by the neglect of the tenant or tenants, oc-
cupant or occupants thereof, such tenant, tenants, occupant, or occu-
pants shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and be liable to the penalties 
provided in section 16 of this Act. 
"SEC. 16. Any person violating or aiding or abetting in violating 
sections 3,4, 5, 7,11,12, or 15 of this Act shall, upon conviction thereof 
in the Municipal Court for the District of Columbia, upon information 
filed in the name of said District, be punished by a fine of not more 
than $100 or by imprisonment for not more than ninety days; and each 
day on which such unlawful act is done or during which such unlaw-
ful negligence continues shall constitute a separate and distinct 
offense. 
"SEC. 17. Except as herein otherwise authorized all expenses inci-
dent to the enforcement of this Act shall be paid from appropriations 
made from time to time for that purpose in like manner as other ap-
propriations for the expenses of the District of Columbia. 
"SEC. 18. (a) For the purposes of this Act, the term 'Commis-
sioners' shall mean the Commissioners of the District of Columbia or 
their designated agent or agents; and the term 'owner' shall mean (1) 
any person, or any one of a number of persons, in whom is vested all 
or any part of the beneficial ownership, dominion, or title of the prop-
erty found by the Commissioners to be in an insanitary condition; (2) 
the committee, conservator, or legal guardian of an owner who is non 
compos mentis, a minor child, or otherwise under a disability; or (3) 
a trustee elected or appointed, or required by law, to execute a trust, 
other than a trustee under a deed of trust to secure the repayment of 
a loan. 
"(b) Wherever under this Act any act is to be performed by, or 
any notice is to be given, an owner, such act may be performed by an 
agent of such owner, or such notice may be given to an agent of such 
owner who collects rent or otherwise acts as an agent for the owner 
in connection with said property. 
"SEC. 19. (a) All suits and proceedings instituted by or against the 
Board for the Condemnation of Insanitary Buildings in the District 
of Columbia created by the first section of the Act approved May 1, 
1906, supra, or the Board for the Condemnation of Insanitary Build-
ings established by the Commissioners under the authority of Eeor-
ganization Plan Numbered 5 of 1952, prior to the effective date of 
this amendatory Act, shall be deemed to have been taken by, or insti-
tuted by or against, the Commissioners of the District of Columbia. 
"(b) With respect to any building or part of building condemned 
by either of the Boards aforesaid prior to the effective date of this 
amendatory Act, and which building or part of building stands con-
demned as of the effective date of this amendatory Act, the six-month 
period provided by section 3 of this amendatory Act shall commence 
running from the effective date of this amendatory Act. 
"(c) Wherever any provision of this Act refers to any order of 
the Board for the Condemnation of Insanitary Buildings, such pro-
vision shall mean the order of such Board, or, if such order be 
reviewed by the Condemnation Keview Board, as such order has been 
affirmed or modified by the latter Board; and wherever this Act 
establishes any time limit within which there shall be compliance with 
an order of the Board for the Condemnation of Insanitary Buildings, 
such time limit shall begin running from the date on which the owner 
of the property affected by said order is served with notice thereof, 
or, if such order be reviewed by the Condemnation Review Board, 
Violation, 
Penalty. 
Expenses* 
Definitions. 
Owner's agent. 
Saving clause. 
66 Stat. 824. 
D. C. 
C o d 
-app. 
Time limits. 
890 
PUBLIC LAW 682-AUG. 28, 1954 
[68 ST A T . 
Effective date. 
from the date on which the owner of such property receives notice that 
such order has been affirmed or modified by the latter Board. 
"SEC. 20. This Act shall take effect thirty days after its approval." 
Approved August 28, 1954. 
Public Law 682 
CHAPTER 1033 
August 28, 1954 
[H. R. 1975] 
Alaska. 
Federal Declar-
a t o r y Judgments 
Act. 
62 Stat. 964. 
AN,ACT 
To amend section 2201 of title 28, United States Code, to extend the Federal 
Declaratory Judgments Act to the Territory of Alaska. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, That the first sen-
tence of section 2201 of title 28, United States Code, is amended by 
inserting after the words "any court in the United States" the words 
"and the District Court for the Territory of Alaska", so that the 
sentence will read as follows: 
"§ 2201. Creation of remedy 
"In a case of actual controversy within its jurisdiction, except with 
respect to Federal taxes, any court of the United States and the District 
Court for the Territory of Alaska, upon the filing of an appropriate 
pleading, may declare the rights and other legal relations of any 
interested party seeking such declaration, whether or not further relief 
is or could be sought." 
Approved August 28, 1954. 
August 28, 1954 
[H. R. 4721] 
43 u s e 423e. 
58 Stat. 891. 
Public Law 683 
. 
. . 
, 
CHAPTER 1034 
AN ACT 
To provide that the excess-land provisions of the Federal reclamation laws shall 
not apply to lands in the Owl Creek unit of the Missouri Basin project. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, That the excess-
land provisions of the Federal reclamation laws shall not apply to 
lands in the Owl Creek unit of the Missouri Basin project, authorized 
in section 9 (a) of Public Law 534, Seventy-eighth Congress, ap-
proved December 22,1944 (58 Stat. 887). 
Approved August 28, 1954. 
Public Law 684 
CHAPTER 1035 
August 28, 1954 
[H. R. 5718] 
F e d er a l 
e m -
ployees. 
Dual compensa-
tion. 
AN ACT 
To limit the period for collection by the United States of compensation received 
by officers and employees in violation of the dual compensation laws. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, That the United 
States hereby waives all claims against any person arising out of the 
receipt by such person of compensation from the United States in-
cluding Government owned or controlled corporations or from the 
government of the District of Columbia in violation of any provision of 
law prohibiting or restricting the receipt of dual compensation, which 
has not been reported to the General Accounting Office for collection 
within six years from the last date of any period of dual compensation. 
Approved August 28, 1964.