Forest Hills Connection interviews VNSTA president Harry Gural

The Forest Hills Connection published an interview with VNSTA president Harry Gural about the tenant association’s ongoing battles with Equity Residential over building repairs and the lack of security. This follows the FHC’s recent story revealing that the Metropolitan District Police had asked the DC Attorney General to designate 3003 Van Ness as a “nuisance property.”

The FHC interview with Gural also cites VNSTA’s protracted 7-year war with Equity Residential over its use of “rent concessions” to circumvent DC rent stabilization laws.

Read the recent interview in the Forest Hills Connection

DC Metropolitan Police ask Attorney General to require Equity Residential to tighten security at 3003 Van Ness or risk prosecution*

The Forest Hills Connection today published a story confirming that the DC Metropolitan Police Department has asked Attorney General Karl Racine issue a letter to Equity Residential demanding that it tighten building security to prevent serious crime, or risk prosecution and possible designation as a “nuisance property.”

The commander of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Second District has reported three Van Ness and Forest Hills apartment buildings to the division of the Office of the Attorney General that handles “nuisance” properties because they have not implemented recommendations that could curtail problems that lead to many police service calls.

At a December 16th public meeting, 2D Commander Duncan Bedlion said that police look for patterns when a building is generating a large number of calls for service. MPD works with building owners and managers to do a security assessment and make recommendations. Often, he says, the buildings are quick to implement MPD suggestions. Some are not.

“If they do not follow them and we continue to see violent crime or narcotic-related crime we notify our partners at the Office of Attorney General, those that specifically work at the “nuisance building” section,” Bedlion said.

Read more in the Forest Hills Connection

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*Note: An earlier version of this web page claimed the the Metropolitan District Police asked the DC Attorney General to designate 3003 Van Ness as a “nuisance property.” Later research revealed that action by the OAG would require Equity to tighten security because of frequent and serious crimes that had taken place on the property. If OAG gave Equity Residential such a warning and it then failed to tighten security satisfactorily, the OAG could file suit against the company, possibly leading to the Superior Court designating Equity Residential a “nuisance property.”

Nevertheless, the complaint by the Metropolitan District Police to the Attorney General is an astounding blow to Equity Residential, which markets itself as a provider of high-end apartments in major U.S. cities.

VNSTA requests update on aggressive dogs following Dec. 7th attack

The Van Ness South Tenants Association today sent a letter to Josh Luper, General Manager of Equity Residential for 3003 Van Ness, requesting an update on the vicious attack by two extremely aggressive dogs on a smaller dog in the underground garage on December 7th.

In an email to residents on December 20th, Mr. Luper told residents that if their animals pose a threat to other animals or people, Equity Residential may require it to be removed from the community. There have been no further communications from Equity Residential since then, raising concerns by VNSTA security working group members that no action may have been taken.

For these reasons, the letter from VNSTA requests an update from Equity Residential.

Tenants association releases report on the deteriorating building at 3003 Van Ness

The Van Ness South Tenants Association today released an extensive report on the condition of the buildings at 3003 Van Ness, including vivid photos of likely structural problems, security issues and safety hazards.

The tenants association sent the report with a letter to the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA), requesting an extensive inspection of 3003 Van Ness. DCRA has fined Equity Residential, which manages the building, many times. VNSTA calls on DCRA to investigate, and if it finds substantial violations, to assess Equity Residential with additional fines sufficient to deter such behavior in the future.

VNSTA Security Working Group holds Zoom meeting with 3003 management

Monday, December 20th, the VNSTA Security Working Group had an online meeting with Josh Luper, building manager of 3003 Van Ness for Equity Residential.

Mr. Luper again promised that Equity would produce a plan for tightening security at 3003 Van Ness. He was not able to provide further details.

He also told members of the working group that Equity was testing several companies that provide security guards on a trial basis, with guards posted overnight from Thursday through Sunday nights. He could not explain why following the recent stabbing at 3003 Van Ness, no security was needed for the overnight shift on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday.

On a positive note, Mr. Luper agreed to VNSTA working group member Owen Epstein’s request to walk the perimeter of the building with him to review broken locks or doors at exterior entrances/exits.

Security working group meets with Equity Residential management

On Monday, December 6th, members of the Security working group met with building manager Josh Luper and Equity Residential Regional Vice President Stacey Aquiar to discuss problems with security at 3003 Van Ness following the recent stabbing of a resident.

Management claims that the stabbing was an “isolated incident,” but VNSTA working group members express concerns not only about the possibility of more violent crime, but about the many shortcomings in Equity’s security at 3003 Van Ness — including the lack of a security guard, a poor and outdated security camera system, little screening of visitors, and broken doors and locks.

Equity management promises that it will present a security plan in the near future. It says that it has hired a security guard for the overnight shift, although it isn’t clear how long that will be in effect. Equity agrees to meet with the VNSTA working group bi-weekly.