“We are hoping that we may get some advice from other readers about a neighborhood issue we are experiencing.”

“Dear PoPville,

A few years ago a developer bought the row home behind us and used it as their office (despite it being zoned residential). Over those years they never took out their garbage and often let it pile 3 or 4 trash bags high. The rats had a field days and there was constantly trash everywhere. We tried talking to them and filed complaints with the city when that did not work but the issue continued until the day they received their demo permits for a condo conversion.

For the last week they have been demoing the house and we are having two issues. First: They fenced off the rear parking so they can drop the demo material in the yard to be hauled off and park their construction truck in the alley every day and refuse to move it. By the time DC parking enforcement arrives (usually hours and hours after they are called) the truck is gone. This goes on Monday-Saturday. Second: In the demo process they are taking buckets and buckets of debris and throwing them from the roof down to the driveway and the surrounding houses and cars are all coated in a thick film of grime. The house is over a hundred years old and the debris can easily contain asbestos and/or lead but there does not seem to be any care given at all to the process and how it is affecting neighbors. We’ve tried talking to them but the developer is never there and the workers aren’t empowered to do anything.

Do we have any recourse at all here for either issue? DC parking enforcement is pretty useless as they continue to block the alley every day for at least 4-5 hours a day and the potentially noxious powder that covers everything is growing thicker and thicker. Would love to hear thoughts from other readers who may have experienced the same or similar issues.”