(Washington, DC) – The DC Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) urges all property owners who feel their property is misclassified as vacant and recently received a second-half 2008 property tax bill at the higher tax rate to contact the agency immediately.

Property owners should apply for applicable exemptions or ask for their vacant property to be reclassified before the property tax bill due date on Monday, September 15, 2008.  Property owners can contact DCRA’s Vacant Property Unit at (202) 442-4332.

 “We do not want to put the ‘vacant’ stamp on the wrong properties,” said DCRA Director Linda K. Argo. “On our Web site you have easily find information on exemptions, answers to frequently asked questions and all the forms and documents you need to comply with the law."

DCRA launched an aggressive campaign in 2007 to identify all vacant properties in the District and to encourage property owners to return their properties to a good and productive use.

As with any new initiative, there were some bumps in the road.

With the new tax bills hitting property owner’s mailboxes, DCRA wants to assure property owners that new quality control measures have been implemented to avoid the same issues that property owners lamented about this past spring.

The agency has revamped the DCRA Web site to include answers to important and frequently asked questions on vacant property laws, an updated list of properties currently classified as vacant, and more accessible information on how to contact us to request an exemption and/or corrections.

DCRA is working closely with property owners to ensure compliance with the District’s vacant property registration law and to correct any errors that have been made. Property owners who feel their property was incorrectly classified as vacant and recently received a tax bill at the vacant tax rate are encouraged to contact DCRA immediately at (202) 442-4332.

In many cases, the issues can be resolved in less than 24 hours.

Additional information, vacant property registration forms and the appeal process are available online.