Tidbits

TAX SALE: The city will hold its annual property tax sale every day, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., this coming week. Houses whose owners are delinquent on their property taxes will be auctioned, with bids starting at the amount of taxes owed. After the auction, the current owner of the house has six months to pay the taxes and keep the house. If they do so, the winning bidder gets a refund , plus 18 percent annual interest on the part of the bid that represents the taxes paid. A list of all the houses that will be auctioned, along with the starting bids, is available online at http://cfo.washingtondc.gov/services/tax/property/sale.shtm. (Please don't bid on the vacant house at 1388 E St. NE, as Tammi and I are hoping to purchase that one! We're looking for a bigger house and would like to stay in the neighborhood but can't afford the area's housing prices.) For more information, call the D.C. Office of Tax and Revenue, 727-4829.

TREE-BOX FINES: Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Michael Musante (6A05) said at Thursday's ANC meeting that he and his neighbors successfully fought $35 fines they had received from the city for allegedly failing to maintain the tree boxes in front of their houses properly. Mr. Musante said the fines were dismissed because the city had never informed citizens what acceptable tree boxes should look like. He advised residents who receive tickets, "If you get them, fight them — but keep your tree boxes clean."

— Marc Borbely, 536 13th St. NE §