BALTIMORE — Baltimore homeowners are receiving notices for unpaid property taxes dating back more than a decade and for balances they say they already paid.
The amounts range from 53 cents to nearly $1,300. But the notices have left homeowners with the same questions: Why now, and how can they verify what the city says they owe?
“So when I first got the bill and I'm saying, why is the city of Baltimore sending me another bill now?” said Ellen Townsend.
Her notice lists $40.35 from the 2013–14 tax year and 53 cents from 2015–16. Townsend says she pays her property taxes in full each year and no longer has records from that far back.
Tywanna Gardner received a notice seeking $1,299.36, including a balance dating back to 2013. She says she previously asked city staff whether she owed anything else and was told she did not.
“I don't have $1,200 to to pay, and I told them that when I went there on the 20th. They asked me what I was going to do about the bills. I said nothing. I don't have it. I'm retired pretty much,” Gardner said.
The notice requests payment by October 31.
The letters did not explain why the city was sending the notice now or how it calculated the balances.
**If you've received one of these notices, reach out to Mallory at mallory@wmar.com**
“So immediately I got on the phone and I called. I was told that they had done an audit,” Townsend said.
Gardner received a different explanation.
“They said this is all interest,” she said.
The Baltimore City Finance Department told WMAR-2 News' Mallory Sofastaii it updated residents’ annual bills to provide a “more transparent view” of outstanding balances, including amounts dating back several years.
"These updated statements are an important improvement in the city's billing process. Previous bills did not fully capture all outstanding balances due to the city. These updated statements bring all past due balances in one place, providing residents with a more comprehensive view.
Some residents may notice small outstanding amounts that appear to be associated with prior year balances, late fees, penalties, or other charges. These amounts have carried forward from previous billing periods and do not represent new charges.
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. If a customer believes a bill has errors, they should call 410-396-3000."
The department has not yet answered how many homeowners received notices or how much it is seeking to collect.
Councilwoman Odette Ramos says she has received several questions about the notices and is also waiting for answers from the Finance Department.
“I appreciate Finance working to collect everything we are owed. However the bills should have been correct the first time. This leaves residents feeling like they can’t trust our systems,” Ramos said.
Ramos added that the notices are going directly to property owners rather than their mortgage companies and worries some homeowners could mistake them for errors and leave balances unpaid, potentially putting them at risk of tax sale.
Both women worry they could receive more bills for balances they thought were settled.
“I asked them what's going to happen in 2039. Am I going to get another bill telling me I owe for 2023?” Gardner said.
Townsend says a city employee told her she did not need to pay the 53-cent balance. But that still leaves more than $40 she had not budgeted for.
“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.