In case of failure or refusal of the owner entitled to the beneficial use, rental, or control of any building required by the regulations promulgated under §§ 6-703.03 to 6-703.09 to comply with the requirements of the notice provided for in § 6-703.05, the Mayor of the District of Columbia or his designated agents are hereby empowered to cause such construction and installation of means of egress and other appliances mentioned in the notice provided for, and the Mayor is hereby authorized to assess the costs thereof as a tax against the buildings on which they are erected and the ground on which the same stands, said assessment to bear interest at the rate and be collected in the manner provided in § 47-1205.

(Dec. 24, 1942, 56 Stat. 1084, ch. 818, § 6.)

1981 Ed., § 5-523.

1973 Ed., § 5-322.

This section originated at a time when local government powers were delegated to a Board of Commissioners of the District of Columbia (see Acts Relating to the Establishment of the District of Columbia and its Various Forms of Governmental Organization in Volume 1). Section 401 of Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1967 (see Reorganization Plans in Volume 1) transferred all of the functions of the Board of Commissioners under this section to a single Commissioner. The District of Columbia Self-Government and Governmental Reorganization Act, 87 Stat. 818, § 711 ( D.C. Code, § 1-207.11), abolished the District of Columbia Council and the Office of Commissioner of the District of Columbia. These branches of government were replaced by the Council of the District of Columbia and the Office of Mayor of the District of Columbia, respectively. Accordingly, and also pursuant to § 714(a) of such Act ( D.C. Code, § 1-207.14(a)), appropriate changes in terminology were made in this section.