{"data":{"id":"us-md/md.-code-local-government-21-212","jurisdiction":"us-md","citation":"Md. Code, Local Government § 21–212","heading":"","body":"(a) After a project for a district has been completed, either wholly or partly,\nthe district council shall impose a benefit charge on all real property in the district\nbenefiting from the project.\n(b) (1) Before imposing the benefit charge, the district council shall\nnotify each owner of real property in the district that the district council is proposing\nto make an assessment of benefit against the owner’s property for the project.\n(2) The notice shall state the date and place of the hearing.\n(3) A hearing notice shall be:\n(i) mailed to the last known address of each property owner in\nthe district; and\n(ii) published once each week for 2 successive weeks in a\nnewspaper of general circulation in the county.\n(c) After holding a hearing under subsection (b) of this section, the district\ncouncil shall:\n(1) determine the extent of the benefit from the project to each lot\nand parcel of land in the district; and\n(2) impose the benefit charge on each lot and parcel of land in the\ndistrict based on the determinations made under item (1) of this subsection.\n(d) (1) A benefit charge imposed under this section is a lien on the real\nproperty against which the benefit charge is imposed.\n(2) The benefit charge shall be paid:\n(i) annually as county taxes are required to be paid; and\n(ii) for a period that is coextensive with the period of maturity\nfor the bonds, notes, or other evidence of indebtedness issued to construct the project.\n(e) (1) This subsection applies only in:\n(i) Carroll County;\n(ii) Dorchester County;\n(iii) St. Mary’s County; and\n(iv) Somerset County.\n(2) The annual benefit charge imposed under this section is payable\nin annual installments over 25 years or any shorter time as directed by the governing\nbody of the county.\n(3) Each annual installment is a personal obligation of the owner of\nthe benefited property at the time the installment becomes due.\n(4) (i) 1. An annual installment in default is a first lien on the\nbenefited property, subject only to prior State, county, or municipal real property\ntaxes.\n2. The outstanding balance of a benefit charge shall be\ngiven normal lien priority.\n(ii) The sale of a benefited property does not extinguish the lien\nimposed against the property.\n(iii) The purchaser of a benefited property shall:\n1. take ownership of the property subject to any\noutstanding balance of the total benefit charge unpaid at the conclusion of the sale;\nand\n2. be required to pay the same annual installments as\nthe previous owner of the property.\n(iv) For purposes of § 3–104(b) of the Real Property Article,\nrelating to the payment of taxes as a prerequisite to recording a transfer of property,\nit is sufficient that all current annual installments of any benefit charge imposed\nunder this subtitle have been paid.","path":["Article - Local Government"],"source_url":"https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=glg\u0026section=21-212","current_through":"2026-01-01","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T19:59:58Z","sha256":"aa1911ae228bf7cef05f5473de0afa782bf6b6fc1eb85ff4a7def5e3d32411db","source_id":"us-md","stale":false,"prev":"us-md/md.-code-local-government-21-211","next":"us-md/md.-code-local-government-21-213"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}