Baltimore City’s Tax Sale Foreclosure Process Must Be Reformed
In Baltimore City, a homeowner can lose her home through tax sale foreclosure for as little as $250 in delinquent property taxes or $350 in delinquent water bills. Unlike a mortgage foreclosure, a homeowner generally receives no compensation for loss of equity, even if the value of the property exceeds the amount of taxes due.
The Baltimore Tax Sale Working Group, a diverse coalition of public and private organizations, is working to better understand and fix this broken system and has recommended a series of reforms, including increasing the threshold amount of unpaid bills that can trigger a tax sale.