{"data":{"id":"us-md/md.-code-local-government-12-405","jurisdiction":"us-md","citation":"Md. Code, Local Government § 12–405","heading":"","body":"(a) (1) Notwithstanding any other provision of State law, when\nnegotiating to purchase real property, the governing body of Cecil County, a unit of\nthe county, or the Cecil County Board of Education first shall acquire an option on\nthe property.\n(2) An option acquired under this subsection shall be:\n(i) acquired for consideration not exceeding $100; and\n(ii) for the purchase of property at a fixed price within an\nagreed period of time not exceeding 6 months.\n(3) An option may not be disclosed to the public until the option is\nsigned by both parties.\n(4) After an option has been signed by both parties, the governing\nbody, unit of the county, or county board of education shall publish notice of the option\nonce each week for 2 successive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the\ncounty.\n(5) (i) A notice published under this subsection shall specify:\n1. the name of the optioner and optionee;\n2. the length of the option;\n3. the proposed purchase price for the property; and\n4. the date, time, and place for the public hearing on\nthe option.\n(ii) The governing body, unit of the county, or county board of\neducation shall set a date for the hearing that is between 7 and 30 days, inclusive,\nafter the date on which the final notice is published.\n(6) The governing body, unit of the county, or county board of\neducation shall allow any person to testify at a public hearing on an option.\n(7) After the public hearing, the governing body, unit of the county,\nor county board of education:\n(i) shall exercise the option as soon as legally allowed, if the\ngoverning body, unit of the county, or county board of education determines that the\noption is necessary or desirable; or\n(ii) may not exercise the option, if the governing body, unit of\nthe county, or county board of education determines that the option is not necessary\nor desirable.\n(b) (1) The governing body of Cecil County may:\n(i) sell by public or private sale or lease surplus county real\nproperty; and\n(ii) execute and acknowledge any instrument necessary to\ntransfer the property.\n(2) Before the governing body may contract to transfer an interest in\ncounty real property, the governing body shall:\n(i) hold a public hearing between the hours of 6 p.m. and 10\np.m.; and\n(ii) advertise the public hearing at least 2 weeks before the day\nof the hearing in a newspaper of general circulation in the county.","path":["Article - Local Government"],"source_url":"https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=glg\u0026section=12-405","current_through":"2026-01-01","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T19:59:58Z","sha256":"8becf35bce017e244ef6bd281799ea3b4e2ceed953652c91fe921a9ed5240805","source_id":"us-md","stale":false,"prev":"us-md/md.-code-local-government-12-404","next":"us-md/md.-code-local-government-12-406"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}