Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection of District of Columbia — Local services in Washington

Marchelle Harris, from the office of the Director, emailed me last week asking why I rated the online/email service I received as "BAD." I responded, but this experience I'm writing about is a real time experience from my in person visit 9am 6/24/2024. 9am I'm here at DLCP in hopes of resolving this issue they created of not being able to renew my business license online, despite having my clean hands certificate I have not been able to. Starting off the address is listed as 1104 4th st. SW in Google when it's actually 1100. I go to counter (ticket c100) 9 and Phil Nelson informed me I'm at the wrong counter and puts my back in the que as the first person to business licensing. I waited from 9:10am (listening to employees making breakfast runs etc.). I get called to window 7, Ms. Garcia and she tells me nothing I have (IRS letter with FEIN, DC statement of account, certificate of clean hands etc.,) will not be accepted. Stating I had to go to BACK Office of Tax Revenue because she could not accept my DC account notices of nothing outstanding. I requested to speak with a manager, she presented Ms. Peterson, I wanted to explain the problem and provide proof they created DC government created this mess and get my proof accepted. Ms. Peterson sends me to a counter to pull up my OTR account, but "SHE" doesn't know the password to sign in because it was changed. How is it a supervisor wasn't aware of this, hence, COMMUNICATION being the biggest problem with these DC agencies and the fact that none of their systems interface with the others. Ms. Garcia and Ms. Peterson both had terrible dispositions and the day has just begun. Ms. Peterson asked me to put my L# in, I did from the statement of account, it did not pull up my account, She questioned why I didn't show this to Ms. Garcia. I told her I did and she wouldn't accept either of them which is why I requested a manager. Ms. Peterson entered the L# from the clean hands certificate, it didn't work. She had me sit and wait while she tried to resolve the matter. I informed her the problem started when Office of Tax Revenue closed my account for unknown reasons without ever sending me notifications by mail or email. Therefore, I had to do a new FR 500. I waited for Ms. Peterson, she returned with 3 invoices directing me to the cashier and come back to her once paid. I paid and returned to Ms. Peterson, I asked the front desk representative for Ms. Peterson at 10:05am and waited. In the interest of my time I asked the front desk clerk if someone else can finalize this, he made several unsuccessful attempts. While waiting for Ms. Peterson he suggested I come back later this week, I declined stating Ms. Peterson told me to come back to her. Furthermore, I had no interest in returning to this dysfunctional office again. Ms. Peterson came to me stating (10:45am) my license would be emailed, I told her I wanted to make sure everything was resolved because I did NOT want to return here. She assured me it would be emailed. After 2.5 hours I departed. This is why my rating is "BAD." What I had been trying to do online since May 11, 2024, with my accountant and I making several calls took over 45 days. The responses from the representatives about not accepting my documents via online correspondence, was accepted when I went in this morning. The very same documents I had been sending via email online. DC government lacks efficiency due to systems not interfacing, training issues (on any given day you get a different answer from representatives about the same issue). Bluntly put, incompetence. If their systems were integrated, stakeholders would receive expediency. Doing so would also eliminate multiple positions...

We are a business consulting company that assist contractors obtaining their licenses so they could work under the law and accordingly to the regulations of the place they want to do work.

It has come to our attention, that certain personnel at the DCRA have been very rude assisting us with some of our cases. We process online these applications, and submit all the paper requested and with the specific details, and our clients are receiving their documents with all kind of mistakes, from misspelled names, to wrong company names, to wrong names in their salesperson license, to wrong addresses. As much as we understand that mistakes could happen, these type of mistakes are happening too frequently, so much that now it is alarming.

All these contractors are investing in their licenses, and taking their time and efforts to apply. They have to wait 30 days and sometimes more for these licenses, and after waiting very long for their licenses they receive a card with their picture and a wrong name, and wrong company. In reality, this type of events leave a bad name to the DCRA and it should not be like that because we know there exist people that work hard assisting and providing a good customer service or processing. Failing to solve the issues puts everyone in the same pool of bad customer service and processing.

We are advocates of working with professionalism and honesty because nobody likes to lose time, and for that reason since the people are our clients we called the DCRA so someone could assist us correcting mistakes that happened at the DCRA. We called and someone had the nerve to say it was our fault and they hung up the phone. We are people that represent business and must respect public/customers . Since no one can assist us through the regular numbers we called, I am writing to you the Manager of the business license Division to see if these mistakes could be corrected. Our clients need their license soon, as they have...

I don't know why this office exist! Many of them don't do their job, and I always get the run-around when trying to find accountable people to address an issue with a property they are responsible for inspecting

I am so fed up with the District Government's poor service and cover-ups! They allow landlords, developers, and slumlord get away with lots of building and housing code violations. It is a huge embarrassment and disappointment of the conditions that exist at the new development, Victory Square Senior Apartments in NE DC Parkside. It has cost me my health!

The problems are too large to post here, but you can view the conditions on YouTube by searching, "Victory Square Senior Apartments NE DC Parkside." A new building that floods from rainstorms; windows leaks; cracks in walls,ceilings and bricks; floors separating; kitchen faucet leaks; cracks in subfloor; air intrusion; insect infestation; mold and mildew; electrical problems; energy loss, and High Death Rate! They issue tenants an "Assumption of Risk Notice" for contracting any diseases in the Common Areas in the building!

Then the poor indoor air quality from high humidity, dirty air vents, and registers.

What is this agency's mission and purpose? They are responsible for performing various types of inspections for safety and health reasons and code compliance. Well, I don't know what happened here, but a lot is wrong in here. They are certified and/or licensed! The office and maintenance staff have shady backgrounds and associates! There is a lot of untreated mental illness, dementia, and substance abuse. DC FEMS is here constantly! Just...