Here's an interactive map of all the vacant and blighted properties in Ward 1 -- use it!

If you're like me, you're always on the lookout for abandoned properties -- they're ugly, unsafe, they mean those properties aren't homes for people or new businesses, and they can attract crime. For example, just think about the recent fires at 14th and Quincy and 1327 Girard -- it's a miracle the fires didn't damage neighboring properties.

The city publishes a list of all the vacant and blighted properties for the first half of fiscal year 2013 on their website. I put together this map using the list of properties and Google Fusion Tables, a free, experimental tool. You can click each property for more information. It's not the prettiest map, but here's what the symbols mean:

Big red icons: blighted and unregistered
Big yellow icons: vacant and unregistered
Big purple: in blight, being appealed
Big blue: vacant, being appealed
Small red: registered as blighted
Small yellow: registered as vacant
Small green: exempt from being classified vacant or blighted because it's for sale or due to zoning
Small blue: exempt from being classified vacant or blighted because it's under construction
Small pink: status pending, which means it was vacant last year but hasn't been determined for this fiscal year

What does this all mean? Basically, if you own a vacant property, you are supposed to register it with the city. If you don't, you face a $2,000 fine. The difference between vacant and blighted is that blighted properties are considered unsafe or unsanitary. Vacant properties are taxed at $5 per $100 of assessed value while blighted properties are taxed at $10 per $100. And I just heard from DCRA that only vacant properties can be exempt, not blighted properties.

So, what can you do with this map? First, you can see if there are buildings missing that you think should be on there. If that's the case, you can report them by calling 311 or emailing vacantbuildings@dc.gov.

You can also see if a building is exempt -- for example, maybe they claim to be under construction in order to avoid the fine, but actually there is no working going on.

So, get to sleuthing! Let's bust these vacant properties.