FIFTY-FIFTH CONGRESS. Sess. III. Ch. 1899. 923 CHAP. 323.———An Act To authorize the Commissioners of the District of Columbia Much 1. 1890- to remove dangerous or unsafe buildings and parts thereof, and for other purposes. ';°"_‘* Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That if in the District of Di¤¤*i¤t¤f¤¤1¤¤¤!>i¤· Columbia any building or part of a building, staging, or other struc- u£2i%°1Yi°ii13i¤l;i’l°lr°t ture, or anything attached to or connected with any building or other structure, shall, from any cause, be reported unsafe, the inspector of buildings shall examine such structure, and if, in his opinion, the same be unsafe, he shall .immediately notify the owner; agent, or other person having an interest in said structure to cause the same to be made safe and secure, or that the same be removed, as may be necessary. The person or persons so notified shall be allowed until twelve o’clock noon of the day following the service of such notice in which to commence the securing or removal of the same; and he or they shall employ sufficient labor to remove or secure the said building as expeditiously as can be done: Provided, however, That in a case where the public Pmiwsafety requires immediate action the inspector of buildings may enter `"g°"°" upon the premises, with such workmen and assistants as may be necessary, and cause the said unsafe structure to be shored up, taken down, or otherwise secured without delay, and a proper fence or boarding to be put up for the protection of passers-by. Sec. 2. That when the public safety does not, in the judgment of the wif:!:?; °°t•j)°¤¤P!¥ inspector of buildings, demand immediate action, if the owner, agent, ° °° np"' or other party interested in said unsafe structure, having been notified, _ shall refuse or neglect to comply with the requirements of said notice within the time specified, then a careful survey of the premises shall be —l·•>¤¤·¤¤>¤¤rv·y.¤¤=. made by three disinterested persons, one to be appointed by the Commissioners of the District of Columbia, one by the owner or other person interested, and the third to be chosen by these two, and the report of said survey shall be reduced to writing, and a copy served upon the owner or other interested party; and if said owner or other interested party refuse or neglect to appoint a member of said board of survey within the time specified in said notice, then the survey shall be made -by the inspector of buildings and the person chosen by the Commissioners, and in case of disagreement they shall choose a third person, and the determination of a majority of the three so chosen shall be final. Sec. 3. That whenever the report of any such survey shall declare ;°:£g¥Q;i{;'¤¤*l *° the structure to be unsafe, and the owner or other interested person ` shall for three days neglect or refuse to cause such structure to be taken down or otherwise to be made safe, the inspector of buildings shallpro- ;*¤;¤l:¤¤>:f ¤f ¤>¤¤L¤- ceed to make such structure safe or remove the same, and the said g` °° °"" ”°' ' inspector shall report the cost and expense of said work to the Com- ·*‘”°"'¤°°°"*`°°¤*~ missioners of said District, who shall assess the amount thereof upon the lot of ground whereon such structure stands or stood, and unless the said assessment is paid within ninety days from the service of notice thereof on the agent or owner of such property, the same shall bear interest at the rate of ten per centum per annum from the date of such assessment until paid, and shall be collected as general taxes are collected in said District; but said assessment shall be without prejudice to the right which the owner may have to recover from any lessee or other person liable for repairs. Sec. 4. That the existence on any uninclosed lot or parcel of land in Uncovered wells. the city of Washingtozi, or its more densely populated suburbs, of any uncovered well, cistern, dangerous hole, orexcavation is hereby declared a nuisance dangerous to life and limb, and any person owning a lot or gwbgyv M f¤*1·¤· parcel of land in said city or said suburbs on which such a nuisance ° ` exists who shall neglect or refuse to abate the same to the satisfaction of the Commissioners of the District of Columbia, after live days’ notice from them to do so, shall, on conviction in the police court, bepunished by a ine not exceeding twenty dollars for each and every day he or she _ fails to comply with such notice. And in case the owner of any unin- gjgygig closed lot or parcel of land in the city of Washington or its more densely '
