Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Let’s talk about Ground Rent in Baltimore City.  Most of you know of this antiquated law that separates the deed to ones house from the deed to ones land.   In 2010 a new law was passed stating that you apply for a FREE extinuishment certificate that would allow you to get the deed to your land for just a small recordation fee.   Well, in the past few days I have tried to take advantage of this most recent Ground Rent Redemption law.    I have gone through the process and I thought I would share with everyone in case you would like to do this too.

1.       Go to this website http://www.dat.state.md.us/sdatweb/ground_rent.html . 

a.       Step 1. Determine if you have ground rent on your deed.  (look for a section of your deed that says "To Have and To Hold"

b.      Step2. If you do have ground rent, but you don’t know who owns your ground rent and have never paid anyone, print the Notice of Application and put it in your window for 30 days.  If you do know who owns your ground rent, you must send them a certified letter at their last known address stating your intent to purchase the ground rent.  

c.       Step2a. Print the Application for Ground Rent Redemption filing.  Fill out this application to the best of your knowledge.  Go to 301 W. Preston St, 8^th floor (Room 801), Baltimore, MD 21201. If you want to call them first the number is, 410-767-1353 or 410-767-2809. 

                                                               i.      Things to take with you:

1.       Take the application you printed from the internet

2.       The  Deed to you house  (if you lost it or can't find it, you can print it from http://www.mdlandrec.net/ )

3.       your checkbook (they will charge you a $70 application fee for a Ground Rent Redemption Certificate)

4.       identification  (to get into the building)

5.       Notice of Application  that has been in your window for 30 days (if ground rent owner is unknown)

6.    Letter and proof of certified mail to your Ground Rent Landlord as well as any other correspondences (if ground rent owner is known)

 

         Lastly, when you are at 301 W. Preston St, Room 801, if you have never known your ground rent landlord , never paid anyone and the owners before you never paid anyone either, you can ask for a Ground Rent Extinguishment Certificate.   This certificate is FREE.   You are only applicable for a Ground Rent Extinguishment certificate if no one has claimed being the Landlord of your ground and there are no documents on the chain of title stating who the landlord is. 

        

         If you know who your Ground Rent Landlord is, you are required to file for a Ground Rent Redemption certificate so ask for one of those.  This costs $70 application fee on the spot.  Then they will give you a piece of paper that tells you how much you have to pay to buy your ground.  This amount is bases on the amount shown in the "To Have and To Hold" section of your deed.  Example: The ground rent on my deed show $24  per year.  The house was built in 1920 so the ground rent lease was created before 1982 (this is a check box on the application).  This means my ground rent redemption amount would be $400.   If this is your situation, you must bring a cashier's check in the amount that is shown on your "Letter to confirm Acceptance of Filing".   Once you have paid, they will give you your Ground Rent Redemption Certificate.  Now you can go on to the next step.

 

 

2.       Since the law has changed, you may or may not need to pay to get your Ground Rent Extinguishment Certification.  Between now and Sept. 30^th 2011, they will give you a certificate for free.  We don’t know what will happen after the court ruling on September 30^th.   Once you have your certificate in hand:

a.       Now you must get your certificate stamped and signed.  Go to 200 N. Holiday St, Room 1, Office 1B "Recordation",  Baltimore, MD 21202

                                                               i.      Bring :

1.       Certificate of Extinguishment or Certificate of Redemption

2.       Identification

3.       Deed to your house

                                                             ii.      Get your certificate stamped and signed.

b.      Now you must get the extinguishment or redemption certificate recorded.  Go to the Clarence M. Mitchell, Jr. Courthouse, 101 N.  Calvert St, Room 610, Baltimore, MD 21202.  Phone number for the Land Records Office is  (410) 333-3760.

                                                               i.      Bring your stamped and signed certificate

                                                             ii.      Bring a $60 money order or certified check made to: The Circuit Court for Baltimore City

                                                            iii.      They take your certificate and record it and mail it back to you.  This is the Deed for your land.

This information is brought to you by your neighbor Traci on Essex Street.

Reference:

2010 Maryland Code, TITLE 8, Subtitle 7 Registry of Ground Leases,  Section 8-708 - Extinguishment of reversionary interest. http://mlis.state.md.us/asp/web_statutes.asp?grp&8-708