Blog

BREAKING NEWS: OAG Files Suit Against Property Owners of 1828 Q Street SE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 22, 2026 MEDIA CONTACT: Office of Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Tom Donohue (ANC 8A01) Email: 8A01@anc.dc.gov COMMISSIONER TOM DONOHUE APPLAUDS ATTORNEY GENERAL BRIAN SCHWALB FOR SWIFT LEGAL ACTION AGAINST NEGLIGENT WARD 8 PROPERTY OWNERS ANC 8A01 Office Commends Close Partnership with the Office of the Attorney General to Restore Safety, Security, and Peace to Q Street SE Residents and Nearby Schools WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Tom Donohue (ANC 8A01) issued the following statement commending D.C. Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb and the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) for taking swift legal action against the owners of 1828 Q Street SE. The lawsuit and motion for a preliminary injunction—filed against 1828 Q Street SE Apartments LLC, Marquis Bailey, and Dion Robertson under the District’s Nuisance Abatement Act—follow intensive advocacy and detailed evidence submitted by Commissioner Donohue's office after raising formal alerts regarding the severe, deteriorating property conditions in May 2026. Located in the heart of Fairlawn, the 36-unit residential building at 1828 Q Street SE has been overrun by squatters, drug distribution, and violent nuisance activity. Law enforcement officers have responded to the property over 190 times in 2026 alone, executing search warrants and seizing controlled substances including crack cocaine. "I want to express my deep gratitude to Attorney General Brian Schwalb and Special Counsel Zenia Wilson Laws for listening to our community and taking decisive, aggressive court action. After my office first alerted the Attorney General's team to the horrific safety and health violations at 1828 Q Street SE back in May, we have worked hand-in-hand with OAG. Between conducting over a dozen late-night site visits, documenting illicit activity, and bringing the harrowing firsthand accounts of our residents directly to law enforcement, our joint efforts have made it clear: absentee landlords will not be allowed to terrorize our neighborhoods." — Commissioner Tom Donohue (ANC 8A01) The drug-related nuisance has created an intolerable environment for vulnerable families inside the building—including a pregnant mother of three who reported routinely navigating past individuals using

crack cocaine directly outside her unit door. Furthermore, the unchecked illegal activity poses a direct danger to neighborhood youth due to the property's immediate proximity to Kramer Middle School, Lawrence E. Boone Elementary School, Anacostia High School, and Vee’s Early Learning Center. "This enforcement action is about protecting human dignity and restoring basic peace of mind to our neighbors. Our residents—especially our children walking to and from school every morning—deserve to feel safe in their own neighborhood. My office will continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Attorney General Schwalb and the Metropolitan Police Department as this case moves through the Superior Court. We look forward to the court granting a strong preliminary injunction requiring mandatory armed security, secured entrances, proper camera installation, and the total abatement of this community nuisance." — Commissioner Tom Donohue (ANC 8A01) About ANC 8A01: Single Member District 8A01 represents the Fairlawn neighborhood in Ward 8, Washington, D.C., encompassing local residents, community parks, and neighborhood schools. Commissioner Tom Donohue was sworn into office in January 2025 and focuses on public safety, housing justice, urban infrastructure, and constituent advocacy. ###

PLEASE NOTE: To support unhoused individuals and help clear out illegal occupants at 1828 Q Street SE, Commissioner Donohue continues to bring resources like DBH and DHS mobile services to Triangle Park every Monday from 10:00 AM to 12:30 PM through the end of October.

View the press release of Attorney General Brian Schwalb https://oag.dc.gov/release/attorney-general-schwalb-sues-property-owner

View the Complaint filed: 1828-Q-Street-Complaint-.pdf

View the Preliminary Injunction 1828-Q-Street-Motion-for-Preliminary-Injunction-.pdf

View Commissioner Donohue's Declaration filed with the Court DECLARATION OF TOM DONOHUE.pdf

View complete details of the squatting situtation on Q Street at: https://anc8a01.com/squatting