Baltimore County property tax scam

The Baltimore County Police and tax office report a growing scam, where you might receive a phone call from someone pretending to be a county employee. The caller will tell you that your property taxes are delinquent, and that a sheriff may be dispatched to your home if you don't pony up.

Follow the link to the official Baltimore County press release. Here are some points from the release:

• Never give personal or banking information (account and routing numbers) over the phone.
• Attempt to verify the identity of unknown callers, and if possible obtain a callback number. Remember, the phone number could be linked to a fraudulent location.
• Never mail currency or checks to an unknown business or person(s).
• Alert a close family member/friend and call police if the call appears to be suspicious.
• Call the Baltimore County Taxpayer Services Section at 410-887-2404 if you have questions about your property taxes.
• Call 911 immediately if a suspicious person comes to your door claiming to be a Baltimore County official collecting property taxes. Baltimore County does not make home visits to collect taxes.

And here is the link to the County's official website, and it's instructions on how to pay your taxes. 

The Good Guys win one!

A couple that lost their home to a PHIFA foreclosure rescue scam has been awarded $700,000 in damages against the fraudsters. Kudos to my friend Phil Robinson, at Public Justice, for shooting these fish in their barrel. The real issue in these cases is not proving the cause of action, it is getting paid.

But for the title professional, the key element of this Baltimore Sun article is its description of the 2007 lawsuit, where the homeowners regained title to their house, and an "new" mortgage in their name. This is describing the "bona fide" lender that retained a lien on the real property to the extent it paid off the homeowner's existing loan secured by the property.

Now, Phil, go get paid!