Dear PoPville

“Recommendations for rowhouse backyard/deck architects or builders”

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user Mr.TinDC. For some reason this photo came up when I was searching for backyards and who am I to refuse a gift from God.

“Dear PoPville,

I’m looking for recommendations for architects or builders (preferably with zoning/permitting expertise as well) for a small project at the backyard of my rowhouse. I’m looking to revamp the parking area and add a new deck. I feel like going straight to an architect who does entire homes isn’t the best option for me, but I don’t really know where else to start. Anybody have any good names? Thanks!”

DC Property Taxes Question

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user angela n.

“Dear PoPville,

My wife and I bought a house in January. We were told by our title company that DC would update their DC Real Property Tax Database within a 60 days or so. Our title company also completed our Homestead Deduction paperwork on the day we settled. Fast forward 6 months and our house is still tied to the old owners in DC’s database, but does say they house isn’t receiving the Homestead Deduction (it had been prior to us buying it). Our real estate agent said that updates to the database generally trigger Property Values to be re-assessed. (more…)

“Hey dude, nice pants!”

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user Pablo Raw

“Dear PoPville,

I can’t bring myself to walk up to a stranger and say that asking where did you get those pants. Every so often I see a cool pair of men’s dress pants (chinos or khakis) almost always tan in color but they have a cool accent color on what appears to be the rear pocket trim, usually a plaid of some sort. Just enough color to make them unique. For the life of me I can’t find them with any kind of Google search. (more…)

“Is it just me, or is this super bizarre?”

By Prince Of Petworth

“Dear PoPville,

So, this is a new one for me. I work in a shared workspace in Foggy Bottom that has of a lot of small offices working on the same floor of the building (mostly lawyers and similar professionals with a handful of employees). The company we rent from occasionally leases out the large conference room on our floor for all kinds of one-off meetings…but nothing as strange as what I saw yesterday.

At first, I didn’t think anything of the group of young, well-dressed people setting up in the conference room, until they started playing new age music and set up this extremely bizarre banner outside of the door. (more…)

“accountant recommendations?”

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user Tim Brown

“Dear PoPville,

Do readers have accountant recommendations? Specifically, I’m looking for one with experience in rental properties with multiple owners and experience with incentive stock options.”

“Have Craigslist scams changed?”

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user Andrew Pasko-Reader

“Dear PoPville,

I’m scanning Craigslist apartment listings for the first time in a few years, and I’d be curious to hear from other readers whether it’s the new norm to ask for personal information before you see a place?

Obviously, we all know not to share banking details with the person who’s out of the country but will mail you the keys to your $1,200/month Dupont penthouse suite.

But the people who ask for full name, occupation, and current location before you even tour the apartment? Legitimate landlords, who are similarly wary of Craigslist, or a newer and subtler way of scamming renters?”

Did Monday’s Massive Deluge Drown All the Rats?

By Prince Of Petworth

“Dear PoPville,

I have tried everything to get rid of the massive rat problem in my alley and nothing seems to have worked including the city’s repeated visits but since last Monday’s storm the rats seem to have disappeared. I used to see dozens of them anytime I would go and take the trash out at night and in the past week, I haven’t seen a single one. I am wondering if anyone else has noticed this? Did the deluge of rain, drown a lot of them?”

“Kalorama Pharmacy on Columbia Road in Adams Morgan has been robbed at gunpoint twice in the last six months”

By Prince Of Petworth


1845 Columbia Road, NW

“Dear PoPville,

Kalorama Pharmacy on Columbia Road in Adams Morgan has been robbed at gunpoint twice in the last six months, and now they have a buzzer on the door to let people in and out.

This is, obviously, super messed up. The people who work there are incredibly nice, efficient, and helpful, and they’re a small local business. (more…)

“The problem is that whenever the owners aren’t home, he barks incessantly”

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user Miki Jourdan

“Dear PoPville,

My neighbors in the apartment next to mine (we share a wall) recently got a new dog. The problem is that whenever the owners aren’t home, he barks incessantly (howls can be heard across the hallway) and the owners seem not to care or are not bothered by it. One of our other neighbors even wrote a note to them recently complaining and politely asking them to do something about it.

I love dogs and completely understand that they can be under stress when in a new home and alone, but this has been going on for multiple months now and is getting out of hand. I shouldn’t be able to hear his howls hours on end from my living room. What is the proper thing to do… get my apartment management involved? Talk to the neighbors again? I don’t want them to remove the dog but there has to be a proper way to handle this.

-Dog lover who needs some sleep”

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