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Sunday, March 26, 2017

Proposed House Bill Would Put A Yearlong Freeze On Selling Homes To Settle Unpaid Water Bills

Maryland’s low-income are struggling to pay their water bills, with rate increases being the driving factor. On Saturday, the House of Delegates approved a legislation that would give Marylanders, who owe unpaid water bills a year’s reprieve from threat of having their homes sold.

The legislation would have a major impact in Baltimore, but would apply statewide. The practice of selling someone’s home, when they fail to pay their bill would be suspended for a full year.

The House also passed a related bill that would organize a task force to research new ways of enforcing people to pay their water charges without seizing their home.

With increasing rates, low-income Baltimoreans are finding it more difficult to afford the water bills. In 2016, over 315 owner-occupied properties were sent to tax sale due to unpaid water bills.

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17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Maybe Baltimore should not have settled with the Freddy Grey family so quickly. They could have used that money to bail out those behind on water bills.

Anonymous said...

This is utter bs this needs to be struck down!

Anonymous said...

That legislation is sure to seriously increase water bills to paying customers

Anonymous said...

Why not? They already get everything else free.

Anonymous said...

10:50 AM I fail to understand your point

Anonymous said...

Can't afford your water? You won't need to worry about it when you and your family are homeless!

Anonymous said...

10:50 AM: Are you just that Stupid or what??? When people can't afford things, then the govt takes it upon themselves to keep raising taxes, and fees and bills such as water bills or sewer bills, the bills you people complaining about, but don't mind it being raised or paying becasue you can at the moment afford it (keep in mind, the law says you have no choice but to hook up to water and sewer utilities if they are in your area where you home is, wither you want it or not or can afford it or not) and you think the law helping people keep their home should be stuck down???

People like you make me sick, and at some point in your life, maybe not right now, but sooner than later this will affect you too, perhaps when you retire if you haven't already, becasue not all of us are lucky to have a pension, or social security, all that will be gone when I retire... But when the govt actually helps someone, and not hurt them, we get stupid people like you come on here running your mouth... And you are saying, it is ok to sell someone's house in which they live, all to pay off a few hundred dollars of sewer or water bill, when the house cost in excess of hundreds of thousands of dollars??? Maybe you should fight the law that says we have to have sewer or water hook-up period, wither you can or cannot afford it, wither you have a job or not, wither you want sewer or water hookups over wells and septic systems, but no, you don't give two shits about that law or people who are struggling, why? Because you fell into money? Because you are spoiled and someone else pays your way through life????

Maybe we should look into who you are, and see if we can get your house taken by the govt for eminent domain, since I bet you like that law too... Then when your forced out of your house for the sake of the govt making money, and you get less money than what your house is valued at when you bought it, I am 100% sure your clown ass tune would change....

God, I can't wait until people like you, and those ass cheek sucking cop lovers have some bad crap come your and their way, just so you can come back to reality and see what truly is going on, what truly is affecting people...

Rebel Without a Clue said...

Doesn't EBT pay for water?

Anonymous said...


Water, like air, should be free to all.

Anonymous said...

Water, like air, should be free to all.

March 20, 2017 at 11:36 AM

Spoken like a true socialist.

Anonymous said...

Water, like air, should be free to all.

March 20, 2017 at 11:36 AM

It is, if you live where you can pump your own well water, or can drink the contaminated creek water that runs through your property. But to expect treated, potable, safe drinking water that cost the municipality big money to produce, for free, is absurd. They don't give away bottled water, and the cities don't give away their treated water. If you want free water, go get it yourself, and turn off the meter to your house. Nothing says you have to pay for city water....and if you don't, they will turn it off. Don't use it, and THEN refuse to pay the bill. Like Judge Judy often says, "if you eat the steak, then you must pay for the steak." Don't eat (drink) it, then you don't owe for it.

Anonymous said...

March 20, 2017 at 11:25 AM:

Pay your bills and quit trying to justify getting something for free, that everyone else has to pay for. If you own a house, then you better pay your bills. Your house is an asset that can be used to offset your liabilities. Pure and simple (legally).

Anonymous said...

1:07
Actually if they cut your water off usually they also notify the health department. Many towns and cities have made it so you have to hook up to their water/sewer. Many people in Willards and Piitsville were upset about this since they already had wells on their property.

Anonymous said...

110 - BINGO BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Yes incuding lobsters crabs shrimp sold COLD so they dont get in trouble with EBT then COOKED.

Anonymous said...

well i'm having to pay for their services and I live in the county. remember the sewage tax we all pay so baltimore can get their water treatment plant upgraded? and the fools don't pay but we sure do! f em! stay in your sewer!

Anonymous said...

I am a Libertarian and under any other circumstances would say you are getting a product or service and you must pay for it. This one is a little different.
Have you seen the adds for California Pistachios? Nearly all are owned by one very rich man. He bought all this land, in a state with HUGE drought problems, and put in a well system to irrigate his crop. He has a right to the water because it's his land, but he is using so much that the day his well went online everyone in the surrounding areas wells dried up.
This scenario is playing out all over the globe, but it is worst in Third World nation's. Companies like Nestle (the worst offender) will take ALL the water from a village, bottle it and sell it back to them at 1000X it's previous cost. And you have to buy it because there is NOWHERE else to get it.
This is a discusting practice that exploits people and is one step away from enslavement. I know a water bill in this country is a little different but you must see it as part of a pattern of behavior that the Elites have been using to tighten their stranglehold on the population.