Ahasteen: Navajo Washington Embassy property needs repairs
Courtesy | Acee Agoyo
A vacant property sign is posted on the Navajo Nation Washington Embassy property in Washington, D.C.
SANTA FE, N.M. – Diné have raised concerns regarding the Navajo Nation Washington Embassy 11 D St. SE, Washington, D.C. 20003 property in Washington, D.C. The property had received vacancy notices.
“To date, the Navajo Nation is up to date on its property taxes,” said Justin Ahasteen, the Navajo Nation Washington Office executive director, in an interview on Wednesday. “In fact, I believe the city of DC (District of Columbia) actually owes the Navajo Nation credit because we have overpaid our personal taxes.”
Ahasteen said there is no risk of the property being seized or anything like that. The notices ultimately mean the property needs to demonstrate repairs have been made and permits have been received from the city; the property then can receive a vacancy exemption, which could put the property back to the original property tax status.
“With the classification as vacancy, it moves us (property) into a different tax status, which, depending upon, the tax code for that year, could be more or less,” Ahasteen said. “That’s essential to what the vacancy determination means. It just puts us into a different property tax status.”
According to Ahasteen, the property is currently undergoing active construction. Still, the Washington office will not be directly involved in the management or decision-making process regarding the property and will be entrusted to the Navajo Division of General Services.
Read the full story in the Jan. 4 edition of the Navajo Times.
Highway 264,
I-40, WB @ Winslow