§ 6-701.10. Notice requiring provision of fire safety measures--Service; failure of owner to comply.

Such notice shall be deemed to have been served if delivered to the person to be notified, or if left with any adult person at the usual residence or place of business of the person to be notified in the District of Columbia, or if no such residence or place of business can be found in said District by reasonable search, if left with any adult person at the office of any agent of the person to be notified, provided such agent has any authority or duty with reference to the building to which said notice relates, or if no such office can be found in said District by reasonable search if forwarded by registered mail or by certified mail to the last known address of the person to be notified and not returned by the post office authorities, or if no address be known or can by reasonable diligence be ascertained, or if any notice forwarded as authorized by the preceding clause of this section be returned by the post office authorities, if published on 10 consecutive days in a daily newspaper published in the District of Columbia, or if by reason of an outstanding unrecorded transfer of title the name of the owner in fact cannot be ascertained beyond a reasonable doubt, if served on the owner of record in the manner hereinbefore in this section provided, or if delivered to the agent, trustee, executor, or other legal representative of the estate of such person. Any notice to a corporation shall, for the purposes of this part, be deemed to have been served on such corporation if served on the president, secretary, treasurer, general manager, or any principal officer of such corporation in the manner hereinbefore provided for the service of notices on natural persons holding property in their own right, and notice to a foreign corporation shall, for the purposes of this part, be deemed to have been served if served on any agent of such corporation personally, or if left with any person of suitable age and discretion residing at the usual residence or employed at the usual place of business of such agent in the District of Columbia; provided, that in case of failure or refusal of the owner entitled to the beneficial use, rental, or control of any buildings specified in this part, to comply with the requirements of the notice provided for in § 6-701.09, the Mayor of the District of Columbia is hereby empowered and it is his duty to cause such erection of fire escapes and other appliances mentioned in the notice provided for, and he is hereby authorized to assess the costs thereof as a tax against the buildings on which they are erected and the ground on which the same stands, and to issue tax-lien certificates against such building and grounds for the amount of such assessments, bearing interest at the rate of 10% per annum, which certificates may be turned over by the Mayor of the District of Columbia to the contractor for doing the work.