What is the "ART" of Enforcement?

DOB's Alternative Resolution Team (ART) is tasked with negotiating settlements with customers to achieve case resolution without litigation. The ART is limited to settling Notices of Infraction and cannot settle Special Assessments.

DOB is the first District government agency to create/implement an ART. Our goal is to assist District residents in reducing their fines as a result of enforcement actions due to timely abatement. Instead of initial discussions first occurring in court, we offer our customers an opportunity to resolve the issues in advance. ART results are often just as good as contesting a fine in court, but without the added time and expense. ART administers two programs to assist customers: Deferred Enforcement and Alternative Resolution.

Deferred Enforcement

This program is designed to provide customers with financial relief from fines if the customer provides proof of violation abatement in a timely manner. Each Notice of Infraction (NOI) will state the abatement window; for example, a NOIR has a 60-day window, while a NOIE (emergency/life-safety issue) has a one-day window. Proof of abatement may be uploaded in DOB’s abatement portal. You will need both proof of abatement and proof of timeliness to qualify for Deferred Enforcement.

Alternative Resolution

This program is designed to provide customers with the opportunity to settle fines for a reduced amount after providing proof of violation abatement that otherwise did not qualify for Deferred Enforcement. The ART is empowered to evaluate mitigating and extenuating circumstances such as tenant interference, cost of repair, permitting delays, contractor availability, and weather when determining a settlement offer. Settlement almost always includes payment of some amount of the fine, but the ART has wide discretion to make a fair decision.

The ART settlement process reduces the number of enforcement cases adjudicated at the Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH), ensures violations related to Notice of Infractions (NOIs) are quickly abated, and focuses limited Office of General Counsel (OGC) resources on cases requiring increased enforcement activity by settling NOIs before an evidentiary hearing. Settlement is optional and customers always retain the right to an OAH hearing or seek relief with the D.C. Court of Appeals.