A woman from Baltimore, Maryland in United States, inherited her late father’s home but soon found a $228,000 water bill attached to the property.The unexpected bill has left Kristina Moore unable to sell the property until the issue is resolved. She says she was shocked to learn that the debt was linked to her father’s home.Moore told WBFF that she believed dealing with her father’s home would be the easy part while settling his estate. However, she said she found a notice taped to the front door showing an outstanding water bill of $228,000.After contacting the Baltimore Department of Public Works (DPW), Moore was told that the property was responsible for the bill. According to her, the department said the outstanding balance would have to be cleared before the house could be sold.
One meter for whole community
The house is located in Springwood Estates, where there is only one water meter serving the entire housing community. That single meter is attached to Moore’s late father’s property.Regina Johnson, president of the Springwood Estates Homeowners Association (HOA), told WBFF she did not know exactly how the bill had grown to more than $228,000. According to Johnson, the HOA collects water payments from individual residents every month.“We provided the covenants and restrictions,” Ciofani said, referring to documents that outline how the community operates. She questioned why Moore was being held responsible for water charges connected to multiple homes. “I don’t understand how they can hold her liable for 37 properties,” Ciofani said.According to WBFF, a senior adviser to the Baltimore City Council president said that “the lien will remain in place until the balance is paid.” That means the legal claim against the property will continue unless the payment issue is settled. It has not yet been decided who will ultimately be responsible for paying the $228,000.
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Moore believes her father’s property may have been left carrying charges linked to more than 30 homes in the neighbourhood because the community’s only water meter is connected to that address.Lisa Ciofani, the realtor helping Moore with the inheritance process and sale of the house, said they submitted documents to the Department of Public Works to explain that water payments are the responsibility of the homeowners association.
What is a property lien
A lien is a legal claim placed on a property because of an unpaid debt. When a lien exists, it becomes part of the public record. In many cases, the property cannot be sold or transferred until the debt is cleared or the dispute is resolved.If the debt remains unpaid, the creditor may have the legal right to force the sale of the property to recover the money owed.According to the report, liens related to unpaid water bills, however, are not common. The most common type is a mortgage lien. This is created when someone borrows money to buy a house. The lender keeps the lien in place until the loan has been fully repaid.Tax liens are also common. These can be placed on a property by federal, state or local authorities if the owner fails to pay taxes.
