The DC Board of Real Property Assessments and Appeals has delayed hundreds of commercial assessment hearings and more than a thousand residential hearings. This is due to unfulfilled board vacancies and the delay in appointing a chairperson.

Under the district's real-property taxation scheme, the first level of appeal is with the assessor. After the issuance of that decision, taxpayers have 30 days to file an appeal with the board. In most cases, appeals challenging the proposed tax year 2004 assessments were filed with the board by the end of August 2003. Despite appeals having been logged for more than three months, no major commercial hearings have been held.

In addition to the frustrations engendered with hearings deferral, the delay could cause widespread tax-bill problems for the March billing. This billing is based on the tax year 2004 assessment figure, if the board does not hold hearings and render decisions expeditiously.