[Chat] [Discussion] Fwd: 300 E. Lorraine Street abandoned house status

Wed May 6 20:52:37 EDT 2009

I would recommend contacting Peter Duvall at the Greater Homewood Community Corp. He has extensive experience in dealing with housing issues and has lived in Charles Village and Old Goucher.
John
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

-----Original Message-----
From: oldhousehistory at aol.com

Date: Thu, 7 May 2009 00:13:31 
To: <Chat at charlesvillage.info>; <Discussion at charlesvillage.info>
Subject: [Discussion] Fwd: 300 E. Lorraine Street abandoned house status

 Believe it or not, NO reaction from our elected and government personnel to my Sunday rant about the contempt of court case concerning the abandoned house at 300 E Lorriane!  

 I'm now interested in how much tax revenue we have all lost from this house continuing to be taxed at an owner occupied rate, when in fact, its been completely abandoned since 2004, and the owner has been in contempt of court for six months.  Despite a $500 per day fine imposed last November, she was allowed to pay property tax of just $650 in February: something is seriously out of sync in the city government, or the owner knows the right people at City Hall.  Paul             

 -----Original Message-----
 From: oldhousehistory at aol.com
 To: Jason.Hessler at baltimorecity.gov; MaryPat.Clarke at baltimorecity.gov; Michael.Braverman at baltimorecity.gov; Bernard.Young at baltimorecity.gov; ugagrad93 at yahoo.com; Donna.Fairweather at baltimorecity.gov; mayor at baltimorecity.gov
 Sent: Wed, 6 May 2009 7:51 pm
 Subject: 300 E. Lorraine Street abandoned house status 

 Mayor Shelia Dixon:

 I have been pressing, complaining, and following the court case concerning the clearly abandoned and rapidly deteriorating property at 300 E. Lorraine Street in Charles Village to no avail.  Sunday, I learned to my disgust, tha t this blighted property is being taxed at the owner occupied rate: no one can, nor has, occupied the house since 2004 (even the vagrants have run away).    

 I notified the people I've been working with for two years now with modest to no success (in the to: line above) on Sunday, and NOT ONE has replied, not even a polite reply saying work is in progress, concerning the myriad ongoing problems outlined below, which have been previously reported over two years ago now.  

 So I ask you as mayor: Why is this house being taxed as a resident occupied house after 5 years as an abandoned property, and why has her contempt of court case not been enforced a full year later?  The house was to have been torn down in December of 2007.  How can the tax office accept a tax payment in February of this year, when she is in contempt of court to transfer sell or demolish the house, as condemned, and accept her claim that it is owner occupied?  This is tax fraud, and the owner needs to be retroactively fined and taxed as an abandoned property.     

 In my opinion, you all have failed us residents miserably, and I'm now going to the press20to expose this gross inaction.  Paul             

 -----Original Message-----
 From: paul Williams <oldhousehistory at aol.com <mailto:oldhousehistory at aol.com> >
 To: 'Hessler, Jason, "Acting Director, Code20Enforcement Legal"' <Jason.Hessler at baltimorecity.gov <mailto:Jason.Hessler at baltimorecity.gov> >; 'Clarke, Mary Pat (Baltimore City)' <MaryPat.Clarke at baltimorecity.gov <mailto:MaryPat.Clarke at baltimorecity.gov> >; 'Braverman, Michael "Deputy Commissioner"' <Michael.Braverman at baltimorecity.gov <mailto:Michael.Braverman at baltimorecity.gov> >
 Cc: 'Young, Bernard (Baltimore City)' <Bernard.Young at baltimorecity.gov <mailto:Bernard.Young at baltimorecity.gov> >; ugagrad93 at yahoo.com <mailto:ugagrad93 at yahoo.com> ; 'Fairweather, Donna' <Donna.Fairweather at baltimorecity.gov <mailto:Donna.Fairweather at baltimorecity.gov> >
 Sent: Sun, 3 May 2009 8:04 pm
 Subject: RE: 300 E. Lorraine Street

Ladies=2 0& 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 below).  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 cit y 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 p aid, 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 
 <http://www.baltimoremarylandhistory.com/> BaltimoreMarylandHistory.com 

From: Hessler, Jason, "Acting Director, Code Enforcement Legal" [mailto:Jason.Hessler at baltimorecity.gov <mailto:Jason.Hessler at baltimorecity.gov?> ] 
 Sent: Wednesday, October 15, 2008 2:35 PM
 To: oldhousehistory at aol.com <mailto:oldhousehistory at aol.com> ; Clarke, Mary Pat (Baltimore City); Braverman, Michael "Deputy Commissioner"
 Cc: Young, Bernard (Baltimore City); ugagrad93 at yahoo.com <mailto:ugagrad93 at yahoo.com> ; 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=2 0the 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 <http://www.baltimorehousing.org> 

CONFIDENTIALITY: This e-mail is confidential and is intended only for the named recipient(s) and may contain information that is p rivileged, attorney work product or exempt from disclosure under applicable law. If you have received this message in error, or are not the named recipient(s), please immediately notify the sender and delete this e-mail message from your computer. 
-----Original Message-----
 From: oldhousehistory at aol.com <mailto:oldhousehistory at aol.com>  [mailto:oldhousehistory at aol.com <mailto:oldhousehistory at aol.com?> ]
 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); ugagrad93 at yahoo.com <mailto:ugagrad93 at yahoo.com> 
 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 sho uld prove to make for an interesting story to the media.  

 Paul Williams   

-----Original Message-----
 From: Clarke, Mary Pat <MaryPat.Clarke at baltimorecity.gov <mailto:MaryPat.Clarke at baltimorecity.gov> >
 To: Braverman, Michael "Deputy Commissioner" (City of Baltimore) <Michael.Braverman at baltimorecity.gov <mailto:Michael.Braverman at baltimorecity.gov> >; Hessler, Jason, "Acting Director, Code Enforcement Legal" (City of Baltimore) <Jason.Hessler at baltimorecity.gov <mailto:Jason.Hessler at baltimorecity.gov> >
 Cc: Young, Bernard <Bernard.Young at baltimorecity.gov <mailto:Bernard.Young at baltimorecity.gov> >; oldhousehistory at aol.com <mailto:o  ldhousehistory at aol.com> 
 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:  <mailto:oldhousehistory at aol.com> oldhousehistory at aol.com [ <mailto:oldhousehistory at aol.com?> mailto:oldhousehistory at aol.com] 
 Sent: Saturday, September 27, 2008 12:48 PM
 To: Clarke, Mary Pat;  <mailto:ugagrad93 at yahoo.com> ugagrad93 at yahoo.com
 Subject: 300 E. Lorraine Street 

Mary Pat!

 I've been reportin g 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 walls20are collapsing.  Can something be done about this property?

 Paul Williams
 2629 Guilford Ave   

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