(a) Except as provided in subsections (d) and (d-1) of this section, the owner of property abutting public space in which any vault is located, as such owner may be recorded in the real estate assessment records of the District, shall pay the rent established in accordance with this part for such vault and any charges levied under § 10-1103.07(a). Such rent and charges shall be payable annually for the vault rent year and shall be payable in full on or before the later of 30 days after the date the vault rent bill was mailed or September 15 of the vault rent year. In the case of vaults constructed between July 1st and January 1st of any year, one-half of the annual rent for any such vault, shall be payable in full prior to the 1st of January immediately following the completion of such vault. In the case of vaults constructed between January 1st and July 1st of the succeeding year, no rent shall be charged for any vault completed within such period, but the owner of the property abutting the public space in which such vault is located shall, prior to the 1st of July immediately following the completion of any such vault, pay in full the annual rent for such vault, for the rental year commencing on such July 1st. Interest at the rate of 1 per centum for each month or part thereof shall be charged in every case in which rent is not paid on or before the date on which any payment required by this section shall become due.
(b) In the event the Mayor requires or allows any person using subsurface public space under the authority of this part to vacate, voluntarily or involuntarily, all or part of any space for which rent has been paid, the Mayor is authorized to refund so much of such prepaid rent as may be represented by the amount of space so vacated and by the length of time remaining in the period for which rent was paid; provided, that the Mayor may deduct from such prepayment any amount due the District in compensation for expenses to the District in connection with the use or abandonment of said space.
(c) Each level of a vault shall be treated as a separate vault for purposes of computing annual rent. Annual rental shall be computed on the basis of the assessed value (“A.V.”) per square foot of the abutting land multiplied by the area of the vault level in square feet (“Area”) multiplied by a utilization factor (“U.F.”), otherwise expressed as (A.V.) x (Area) x (U.F.).
The utilization factors shall be:
(1) First Level: One and two-tenths percent (1.2%);
(2) Each Level Thereafter: Three-tenths of one percent (0.30%).
(c-1) Notwithstanding subsection (c) of this section, rent per fuel oil tank shall be $100; provided, that the Council may adjust the amount of rent per fuel oil tank pursuant to § 10-1104.01.
(d)(1) Notwithstanding subsection (a) of this section, an owner of property, including air rights, abutting public space occupied by a vault constructed under the portions of F Street, N.W., and G Street, N.W., between 2nd Street, N.W., and 3rd Street, N.W., and the portions of 2nd Street, N.W., and 3rd Street, N.W., between F Street, N.W., and G Street, N.W., shall not be required to pay the rent required by subsection (a) of this section during the period described in paragraph (2) of this subsection if:
(A) The vault abuts and is constructed as part of the improvements constructed pursuant to the land disposition agreement to be entered into pursuant to the Center Leg Freeway (Interstate 395) Fee and Air Rights Disposition Emergency Approval Resolution of 2007, effective July 10, 2007 (Res. 17-291; 54 DCR 7461) (“Center Leg improvements”);
(B) The owner (or a previous owner) has reconstructed F Street, N.W., and G Street, N.W., between 2nd Street, N.W., and 3rd Street, N.W. (“reconstructed streets”) in accordance with the standards and specifications of the District Department of Transportation and at no cost to the District; and
(C) The owner agrees to maintain the reconstructed streets at no cost to the District.
(2) A rent waiver granted under this subsection shall commence on the date that the Mayor accepts the reconstructed streets and shall terminate 14 calendar days after the date of a determination by that Mayor that:
(A) The Center Leg improvements have been substantially rebuilt or demolished for reasons other than fire, collapse, explosion, or act of God;
(B) The owner has failed to maintain the reconstructed streets in a safe condition and at no cost to the District, after such notice and opportunity to cure, if any, as may be provided in the permit; or
(C) The owner has violated a condition under which its vault construction permit was issued, after such notice and opportunity to cure, if any, as may be provided in the permit.
(3) Any vault serving, in whole or in part, real property exempt from taxation under § 47-1002(19) shall be exempt from vault rent.
(4) Any vault serving, in whole or in part, real property located at Square 287, Lot 812 shall be exempt from vault rent.
(d-1) Notwithstanding subsection (a) of this section, the owner of Lot 1 in Square 1048-S (“property”) shall not be required to pay the rent required by subsection (a) of this section for any vault occupying the Virginia Avenue right-of-way abutting the property and constructed after July 23, 2010.
(e) The owner shall have at least 30 days from the date of issuance of a bill to pay the rent.
