I know this lot is now vacant, but WOW, how did Rollins Outdoor (aka Clear Channel) manage to get such a low tax rate?
Check it out. Go to this link and punch in Square: 0521 Lot: 0800
https://www.taxpayerservicecenter.com/RP_Search.jsp?search_type=Assessment
Bates Area Civic Association 
Because they are the 1%, it’s how things work.
Also, the tax assessment is primarily based on structure and not land. The number of years the lot has been under the same owner also impacts how much the taxes may be increased year to year. I agree it seem very disproportionate as my property taxes are more than 11 times that amount.
The land is valued at less then $50K. From what I have seen that is much lower then all the other land around here.
How does this compare to other vacant lots in the BACA area? We shouldn’t compare it to the property taxes of our own occupied houses.
Land value shouldn’t change between vacant and not-vacant. Here are comparable land-values for other corner lots in the neighborhood. The property doesn’t have an official address as there was never a building on it. I’m guessing it keeps falling between the otr cracks because they can’t find it. Their ’11/’12 assessments are identical which leads me to believe otr is ignoring them.
0521/0800: 3,735sqft $47,900 ($12.82/sqft)
0521/0040 aka 0301-0303 P St nw: 1839 s,qft, value $327,805 ($178.25/sqft)
0615/0228 aks Steve’s market: 1,190 sqft, value $206,100 ($173.90/sqft)
The DC owned lots on Q st are valued in the 200’s as well and
0615/148 aka 10 Q St, 1,600 sqft value: $240,000 ($150/sqft)
0615/191 aka 4 Q St 1,596sqft value: $239,400 ($150/sqft)
It looks like at a minimum their land value should be somewhere between and $560k and $646k and taxed vacant/blighted on top of it.
This is what the Office of Tax and Revenue had to say. What do you all think?
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Thank you for bringing this parcel of land to our attention. To answer your question why this parcel is taxed so little, please refer to the taxes levied and the tax rates per $100 assessed for each of the recent tax years:
Tax Year Tax Rate Tax Amount
2011 $0.85/$100 $407
2010 $0.85/$100 $407
2009 $10/$100 $4,792
2008 $5/$100 $2,396
2007 $5/$100 $2,180
Please note the drastic changes in taxes from 2007 through 2011 due to changes in the tax rate. Market value for all property in the District is reviewed each year. This property is under review for the new tax year beginning on January 1, 2012 for Tax Year 2013.
It would be great if our council member could look into this. Oh, wait, that would be Harry Thomas, Jr. Who is HTJ’s lawyer? Fred Cooke – the same Fred Cooke who is a lobbyist for Clear Channel, who just happen to own the land (under the name of Rollins Outdoor). Somebody’s pockets are getting full from this, of that I am sure.