Some Baltimore homeowners who believed they were current on their property taxes suddenly received notices saying that they owed as much as $1,300.
The city has responded that the notices reflected past amounts owed and not new charges, but many recipients have said they cannot afford to pay regardless.
Here's what to know
Ellen Townsend, a Baltimore homeowner, received a notice listing a $40.35 balance for tax year 2013-14 and another 53 cents for 2015-16, according to WMAR 2 News.
Townsend said she did not have records dating that far back and therefore could not check the city's figures against her own. She said she pays her property tax bill in full every year, per WMAR.
Another Baltimore homeowner, Tywanna Gardner, was shocked to get a notice saying she owed $1,299.36 for charges dating back as far as 2013. The notice directly contradicted earlier assurances from city staff that she owed nothing more, Gardner said.
A new billing system
The Baltimore City Finance Department explained that the notices were a result of the city switching to a new billing system that allowed all amounts due to appear in one location rather than being spread across multiple systems, WMAR reported.
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However, that explanation did not satisfy Gardner. When she inquired about her bill, a city employee told her an audit had prompted the notice.
"They said this is all interest," Gardner said, per WMAR.
Odette Ramos, a Baltimore councilwoman, said she was still awaiting a response from the city's finance department after her office received complaints from concerned constituents.
"I appreciate Finance working to collect everything we are owed. However the bills should have been correct the first time," Ramos said, per WMAR. "This leaves residents feeling like they can't trust our systems."
Property owners who do not pay their property taxes can potentially face severe consequences, such as a tax sale, Ramos warned, making the stakes especially high.
What can be done?
The Finance Department has said that residents with questions about their property tax bills should contact the department directly at 410-396-3000. How much money the department hoped to recover and how many homeowners received notices remained undisclosed, WMAR reported.
"If a customer believes that any of these bills are incorrect or do not apply to them, we will abate them on a case-by-case basis," the department told WMAR.
For Townsend and Gardner, help with their out-of-the-blue bills remained out of reach. Townsend said a city worker assured her that she did not need to pay one portion of her bill that totalled 53 cents. However, she was still on the hook for $40 that she said she could not afford.
Similarly, paying the nearly $1,300 the city said she owed was out of the question for Gardner, who described herself as mostly retired.
"I have other bills to pay. And you just can't throw something on me at the last minute because I work on a budget," Townsend said, as quoted by WMAR.
Where can I learn more?
Unexpected property tax bills have caught other homeowners off guard, too. These stories cover billing mix-ups, surprise increases around closing, and assessment disputes and appeals.
• A new homeowner discovered a property tax mix-up hidden by escrow payments.
• A California buyer received a $57,000 property tax bill that wasn't theirs after closing.
• One homebuyer learned property taxes would double days before closing, increasing mortgage payments 10%.
• A one-bedroom condo owner faced a 27% assessment increase, prompting suggestions to appeal.
• A homeowner's assessed value jumped 40% without property changes, highlighting potential savings from appeals.
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