See my rant about 300 E. Lorraine Street, an abandoned and rapidly deteriorating house I’ve been complaining about for years. I’m getting no action from our elected officials, nor our city employees. They have not only let me down, but cost the city tens of thousands in lost tax revenue: despite its condemnation classification, its taxed as a principal residence rate. The court ordered its demolition in December of 2007! I’ve learned today that the owner claims it as her principal residence, and it’s been taxed as such since 2003. It’s completely uninhabitable, as the court found, and was ordered razed 17 months ago. So how does the city classify it as her principal residence, accept her tax payment of just $650 in February of this year, when no one has been inside since 2004? Its not had rain gutters since 2004, and all rain water from the roof pours directly inside the kitchen from the back wall: the windows are so black with mold you can’t see inside anymore. Paul Williams 2629 Guilford Ave An email I sent yesterday to officials supposedly tracking the situation, with prior emails below!: Ladies & Gentlemen! I’ve been patiently waiting for information from you all on this ongoing problematic vacant house (now full of mold) which I’ve been complaining about for years (see=2 0below). I had hoped to find resolution to the problem through the normal channels, as the court system was making progress in her contempt case. Today, I watched the rain pour into the basement from the back roof and noticed that the windows are so black with mold one can’t see inside. When I went to look the house up today (300 E. Lorraine – Square 3837, lot 66) on the real property tax database, imagine my anger at finding that the owner not only paid her taxes in February (on a condemned house where she is in contempt of court), but that she LISTED THE HOUSE AS HER PRICIPAL RESIDENCE. And, she got the residential tax rate (about $1400 per year), which I’m sure she has obviously been getting for several years, even with condemnation proceedings now over two years old. Nobody can, or has, lived in the house since 2004. We moved into an adjoining house facing the shared alley in 2003. Even the illegal vagrants moved out in 2004 because of the deteriorated condition. How can the city allow someone to claim this condemned property as her principal residence? She was found in contempt of court, and was subject to a $500 per day fine beginning in November of 2008. I was assured action by my elected officials for several years now, and thought our communication last November ensured that this house be torn down. Now I need to expose this illegal and embarrassing theft from our city coffers, and I intend on doing so by any public means possible, beginning with the media on Tuesday morning, unless I hear from you with its current status, the house is scheduled to be torn down, her $500 per day fine is being paid, and she will be taxed retro-actively at the vacant rate; or otherwise assured that my city officials are doing their job. Paul Paul K. Williams 2629 Guilford Avenue Baltimore, MD 21218 BaltimoreMarylandHistory.com From: Hessler, Jason, "Acting Director, Code Enforcement Legal" [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Wednesday, October 15, 2008 2:35 PM To: [email protected]; Clarke, Mary Pat (Baltimore City); Braverman, Michael "Deputy Commissioner" Cc: Young, Bernard (Baltimore City); [email protected]; Fairweather, Donna Subject: RE: 300 E. Lorraine Street Mr. Williams: The file was requested from the field and a contempt case was filed against Ms. Neal to enforce the court order that required her to raze, rehabilitate or transfer 300 E. Lorraine. I have not seen the returns from the District Court but we expect the initial hearing to be on November 25th, 501 E. Fayette Street between 8:30 a.m. -12p.m. Generally in a contempt case the court would provide the owner with a deadline to comply with the original order. A daily fine automatically applies (usually $500 per day) if the owner fails to meet the deadline. We will contact you when we have confirmed the court date. Jason Hessler, Esquire Acting Director Baltimore Housing Code Enforcement Legal Section 417 E. Fayette Street, #202 Baltimore, Maryland 21202 410-396-4140 Fax 410-385-8689 www.baltimorehousing.org -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Wednesday, October 15, 2008 12:21 PM To: Clarke, Mary Pat (Baltimore City); Braverman, Michael "Deputy Commissioner"; Hessler, Jason, "Acting Director, Code Enforcement Legal" Cc: Young, Bernard (Baltimore City); [email protected] Subject: Re: 300 E. Lorraine Street Gentlemen; Its been more than two weeks since our inquiry, and Mary Pat nor I have heard even one email from you regarding this property. I'm rapidly going from a concerned citizen to an angry citizen. The property was ordered by the court to be torn down nearly a year ago. Taxpayers are losing money as it is listed as owner occupied in the tax rolls for the past 5 years, when in fact, its abandoned and uninhabitable. It should prove to make for an interesting story to the media. Paul Williams -----Original Message----- From: Clarke, Mary Pat <[email protected]> To: Braverman, Michael "Deputy Commissioner" (City of Baltimore) <[email protected]>; Hessler, Jason, "Acting Director, Code Enforcement Legal" (City of=2 0Baltimore) <[email protected]> Cc: Young, Bernard <[email protected]>; [email protected] Sent: Mon, 29 Sep 2008 9:26 am Subject: FW: 300 E. Lorraine Street Dear Mr. Braverman and Mr. Hessler, Could you please let us know the status of this property? When will it be either fixed or demolished? Thanks, Mary Pat (In Councilman Young’s district.) From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Saturday, September 27, 2008 12:48 PM To: Clarke, Mary Pat; [email protected] Subject: 300 E. Lorraine Street Mary Pat! I've been reporting and following the case of 300 E. Lorraine Ave, a house that is abandoned and sits right behinds ours. It is still listed and taxed as being owner occupied, despite its roof now having caved in, with all the roof water headed to the basement. It has slowly gone through the legal process and was supposed to be fixed up or torn down by December 2007! Alas, its still extant, and emails to the legal department go unanswered. It now if full of mold due to the water infiltration, and the rear walls are collapsing. Can something be done about this property? Paul Williams 2629 Guilford Ave
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