you see, this place had been vacant since about 1996. at that time, on that block in DC, you were more likely to find a place to buy crack than a place to grab a latte. not that there's a starbucks on every corner now [in fact, there are none for about a 12 block radius] but at least the crack is gone!
a residual effect of the drug & crime epidemic was squatting. nothing much to it: if a house is vacant, you can just bust into it and make it yours! for free! pretty cool...[i guess]
as things started to change in the neighborhoods east of 16th street in DC in the late 90's, good things started happening: retail storesm& restaurants opened up. condos were built. homes renovated. the drug dealers moved out [just further east] and things changed rapidly.
except for the squatters.
reason being: while ALOT of new stuff came in, not all of it was renovated etc. sometimes it was hard to track down the owner, so it couldnt be sold. sometimes the owners didnt want to sell their property to anybody. but in the meantime, the houses stood vacant....prime targets for squatters.
just like my house.
since the departure of the last tenants in 1996, it stood vacant. The owner had several houses in DC and wasn't able to keep this one in good condition over the years. The former tenants decided to come back and visit---often---and broke the windows and doors to get in. they would drink, sleep, get a fix, turn a trick---anything goes when you're a squatter!
as those folks moved on, others moved in. the former owner would clean it up from time to time, but the squatters kept coming back. Even after my first visit into the place, i could see that things had 'changed' on my next visit...more trash, a different pile of clothes, furniture moved. The squatters were still very much there.
once the house changed hands, our first order of business was to re-secure it. we took a full walk around the house and looked for weak spots: old windows that could be kicked in...doors that could be pryed open.
to be sure: there have definitely been some "incidents" since construction began. broken windows and doors. more trash. "#1" and "#2" on the floor...not pleasant. When you actually own the joint, it makes you beyond furious. But we chilled. Went to Home Depot. Bought more stuff to re-secure the windows. And also bought a more passive anti-squatter device: a "no trespassing" sign.
cost: $2.99
break-ins since the sign went up: ZERO
sometimes the most vexing problems have very simple solutions.
