In case the owner or owners of any such lot be a nonresident or nonresidents of the District of Columbia, or cannot be found therein, then, and in that case, the Mayor of the District of Columbia shall give notice, by publication twice a week for 2 weeks in some daily newspaper published in the City of Washington to such owner, directing the connection of such lot with such public sewer or with such public sewer and water main, as the case may be; provided, however, that if the residence or place of abode of the said nonresident lot owner be known or can be ascertained on reasonable inquiry, then, and in that case, a copy of the aforesaid notice shall be mailed to said nonresident, addressed to him in his proper name at his said place of residence or abode, with legal postage prepaid; and in case such owner or owners shall fail or neglect to comply with the notice aforesaid within 30 days it shall be the duty of said Mayor to cause such connection to be made, the expense to be paid out of the emergency fund; such expense, with necessary expense of advertisement, shall be assessed as a tax against such lot, which tax shall be carried on the regular tax roll of the District of Columbia, and shall be collected in the manner provided for the collection of other taxes.

(May 19, 1896, 29 Stat. 126, ch. 206, § 4.)

1981 Ed., § 6-404.

1973 Ed., § 6-404.

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.