The owners of vacant properties in Baltimore City could be slapped with a slew of fees, under three bills being considered by city council.
In one bill, owners would face a higher fine for failing to comply with a nuisance abatement order. That could include drug use, drug dealing or any other hazard that poses a danger to neighbors. In another, they would pay an increased fee to register their vacant buildings every six months. The third, calls for the owners of vacant buildings to reimburse the city if a property catches fire.
At a hearing on March 12, Tylor Schnella, a city employee speaking on behalf of the Mayor’s Office, expressed opposition to the emergency response fee. “They would need to determine how much it costs to have a lieutenant, a battalion chief, a paramedic, and gas for the truck,” Schnella said. “It's so wide ranging because each fire is different.”
He added that the legislation could be unfair to vacant property owners.
“If a fire starts but spreads to an adjacent vacant property, then the vacant property owner could be on the hook, having to reimburse the city for fire services rendered, although the fire did not originate on their property.”
For Robert Stokes, who represents the 12th district, the fees are not a problem. Instead, the councilman said the issue is how the funds are disbursed. “That money needs to go to our seniors who need help with housing right now, who are on a fixed income, not the general fund,” Stokes said.
Nick Mosby, the city council president, sponsored all three measures, which supporters say would crackdown on neglectful vacant property owners.