Baltimore City is coming for your vacant. Are you ready?

 Rehabbing vacant Baltimore City rowhouses is essential for continued revitalization. A refreshed housing stock supports surrounding property values, attracts  new residents, and provides the basis for community stabilization. All of these elements are essential to lower Baltimore's crime rate.

However, many rehab projects never take-off, or stall for unforeseen difficulties-- owners can fall victim to a range of personal and business problems that delay or interrupt construction. We have seen them all.

Mayor Scott recently announced a thirty day study period by all departments of City Government. His stated goal is to immediately reduce the City's glut of vacant properties. To this end, the City's January 31, 2022 press release announces that:

As of January 28, 2022, there were 15,032 vacant houses in Baltimore City. About 13,560 of these vacant properties have private owners. Approximately one-third of the vacant buildings are already under a transformation: being rehabbed by a private owner; part of a larger redevelopment plan; in court under a vacant building receivership action; being prepared for demolition; or a City-owned vacant available for immediate sale to a qualified buyer ready to rehab. The Department of Housing and Community Development under Commissioner Alice Kennedy has ongoing initiatives in place to acquire and convert, stabilize or demolish these vacant houses. This directive aims to accelerate, expand, and enhance these processes and reduce the number of vacant homes in Baltimore City.

Young & Valkenet has represented owners, lenders, title insurers and contractors in all phases of Baltimore City receivership actions. We also represent adjoining neighbors who own property that has been damaged by the poor condition of a Baltimore City vacant.

Remote Civil Proceedings are now via Zoom and Webex

Let our lawyers surf your court case.

The casual criminal is everywhere.

This fellow was filmed in my home neighborhood, last night. He is just another in a long line of casual thieves who wander through Baltimore in the wee hours of the morning.

And judging from the flashlight and calm demeanor, this one is practiced and professional.

And this next one, merged from two vantage points, shows a distinguished citizen picking up a UPS package from another neighbor's front stoop. Why go to the mall, when it's all delivered to our/his doorstep?

"The common argument that crime is caused by poverty is a kind of slander on the poor."-- H.L. Mencken.

Baltimore traffic tickets stuck at a red-light!

On April 23, 2013, Baltimore City announced that it will throw out more than 6,000 speed and red-light tickets.  Yes, you read that correctly. 

As reported by The Baltimore Sun, the city is relinquishing the opportunity to collect more than $300,000 in fines because its former contractor has stopped coming to court to defend the tickets.  And yes, you read that correctly, too.

 

Baltimore City transportation officials claim that Xerox State and Local Solutions has failed to provide the evidence necessary to mount a defense in court.  Without this proof, the city says it cannot fight the ticket appeals.  Xerox, however, is just as quick to point the finger, insisting it has supplied officials with all essential data.

Xerox’s contract with the city ended on December 31, but the company continued to assist Baltimore for more than 90 days to facilitate the transition to another vendor.  Xerox insists it informed Baltimore City that its court representation would end on April 8.  Of course, transportation officials argue differently, citing non-responsive company representatives as the root of the problem.

This is just the latest issue to plague Baltimore City’s dysfunctional speed camera program, coming only days after the city shut down the program after acknowledging a glitch with cameras provided by the new vendor.  Officials voided more than 500 tickets due to this programming error.  In addition, over the past two weeks, judges have dismissed 600 speed camera tickets due to a lack of evidence.

Now over 4,000 speed and 2,000 red light citation holders await a letter in the mail, voiding the charges.  As Baltimore City and Xerox continue to squabble in the “blame game,” the ticketed rejoice in the mass dismissal.

They are enjoying every accused speeder’s dream come true.

 

Baltimore City auctions liens, seeds future title claims!

Baltimore City auctioned over 12,000 property liens, this week, in order to recoup about $203 Million in delinquent taxes and other charges against real property owners. If you're not from these parts, pay attention: The lien purchaser pays the amount of accrued and delinquent taxes or water charges to the municipality. In return the purchaser gets a lien certificate, which states an 18% interest rate. The lien purchaser can then file a petition to extinguish the equities of redemption in the real property. When I last checked, the petition could be filed up to two years later. And so, between the time of sale and the filing of a petition, the only evidence of this unrecorded equity is a notation on the City Lien Sheet, if at all. Also, when a petition is filed, it will often list a dozen or more properties and defendants, making traditional title searching difficutl since there is such a great chance of mis-indexing. But once that petition is filed, title is clouded, even if service is not completed.

Beware the City lien process! Check those settlement files for current lien sheets, and double check every case docket!