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Also in this section:
Transito Code changes include mandatory insurance
Some demolition eliminates hazards
 

Not a lot of people will miss this building

photo by Eric Jackson

This building on the acute left turn at the intersection of Avenida Peru and Via España was a terrible traffic hazard whose toll could before the wrecking crew came in be read on the cracks and chips and displacements in the brick pillars next to the road. A few of the accidents here were fatal, but mostly the cost was counted in dented fenders.

The building itself had been abandoned for years, stripped of its fixtures and bricked up. However, homeless people broke holes in the walls to gain entry and the place became something of a flophouse and health hazard.

Panama's property tax system and other laws encourage the demolition of abandoned buildings. Although it's almost unheard of, the government does have the power to confiscate derelict buildings, which in any case are taxed more than new buildings or vacant lots.