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Article: Ground rent bills advance: House approves reform package; Senate delays action on one bill.
- Article from:
- The Baltimore Sun (Baltimore, MD)
- Article date:
- March 21, 2007
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2007 The Baltimore Sun. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: Laura Smitherman and Andrew A. Green
Mar. 21--The Maryland House of Delegates unanimously approved eight bills yesterday aimed at modernizing the state's antiquated system of ground rents and stemming reported abuses of homeowners. The General Assembly acted quickly this session on the legislation, spurred largely by cases of ground rent holders who levied hefty fees and seized hundreds of homes of residents who had fallen behind on payments, in some instances over minimal debts. Legislators also said the overhaul was needed to bring transparency to a system, mostly used in Baltimore, that dates to Colonial times. The system, in which homeowners ...