A Logan Circle man who refused to remove a ladder from the side of his house, perhaps allowing thieves easy entry to his neighbors’ homes, has inspired legislation requiring District residents to keep their ladders locked away.
The bill, introduced by Ward 2 D.C. Councilman Jack Evans, mandates that all ladders, when not in use, “shall be stored within a fully enclosed locked structure or locked and secured in a side or back yard so they are screened by a fence or wall from the view of any neighboring property, street or alley.”
The measure was spurred by the bizarre case of Nathaniel Rabinowitz, of the 1700 block of Vermont Avenue NW, who steadfastly spurned calls to relocate a fire-escape ladder hanging from the side of his home.
Neighbors complained that the apparatus provided burglars easy access to their properties through skylights. The dispute led to back-and-forth lawsuits and Rabinowitz’s arrest on marijuana charges.
In late June, firefighters entered Rabinowitz’s two-story row house and found a blaze raging on the first floor. After extinguishing the fire, crews found the 60-year-old on the second floor, suffering from a gunshot wound to the neck and smoke inhalation.
