Mayor Scott Removes Owner-Occupied Homes From Tax Sale List for Fourth Consecutive Year

BALTIMORE, MD (Wednesday, May 1, 2024) - Today, Mayor Brandon M. Scott announced the removal of owner-occupied homes from the city's tax sale list following approval from the Board of Estimates during their meeting this morning.

"Removing owner-occupied homes from the tax sale list is simply the right thing to do, and I'm proud to take this step for the fourth year in a row. It is impossible to overstate how important this is for the impacted families. This year's action will benefit homeowners in 221 neighborhoods and continue to advance our vision for equitable neighborhood development," said Mayor Scott. "I want to thank all of the advocates and elected officials who care deeply about this issue for making their voices heard and standing alongside my administration to protect owner-occupied homes and the families who live in them."

This year, like 2023, Mayor Scott is specifically targeting the removal of owner-occupied homes assessed under $250,000, which covers the vast majority of impacted properties. Approximately 221 of Baltimore's 279 neighborhoods will have properties removed including Belair-Edison, Allendale, Brooklyn, Coldstream Homestead Montebello, Frankford, Glen, Howard Park, and Sandtown-Winchester.

The 3,464 properties removed from the tax sale process include single family dwelling, condo, and multifamily dwelling units where the owner permanently lives. 161 of the properties removed have been owned by the same person for over 50 years, 64 have been owned by the same person for over 60 years, 41 have been owned by the same person for over 65 years, and 23 have been owned by the same person for over 70 years.

Additionally, as part of Mayor Scott's government modernization efforts, the administration is working to implement a more efficient cloud-based tax payment system over the next few years. The new system is expected to automate payments that are currently handled manually and significantly improve service delivery to taxpayers.

This announcement builds on a series of steps the Scott Administration has taken to keep more Baltimoreans housed while ensuring economic security for city residents including:

• In 2021, creating a Tax Sale Work Group composed of housing advocates, legal aid professionals, and tax sale experts focused on comprehensively reforming the tax sale process. The work group seeks to identify current gaps in the system and finds solutions to make the process more equitable
• Launching a middle neighborhoods strategy to boost Black homeownership and the largest-ever investment in equitable development with $100 million dollars towards addressing blight throughout Baltimore's communities

The 2024 tax sale is scheduled for May 20, 2024.

Residents experiencing issues related to the tax sale may call 410-396-3556 to be connected with a member of the Bureau of Revenue Collections who is familiar with the tax sale process. Residents waiting for their payment to post, who are appealing any bill, and who are unsure about whether they qualify for additional support should call that number for assistance.

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