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last mo.

Baltimore Heir Faces $228,000 Water Lien Tied to Neighborhood Meter

City approved a payment plan for the homeowners association but the lien stays on the inherited house until the full balance is paid.

Kristina Moore says when she inherited her late father's Northeast Baltimore home, she also inherited a water bill exceeding $200,000 -- a debt she insists belongs to the entire neighborhood, not just her family. (WBFF)
Kristina Moore says when she inherited her late father's Northeast Baltimore home, she also inherited a water bill exceeding $200,000 -- a debt she insists belongs to the entire neighborhood, not just her family. (WBFF)
Water Faucet

Overview

  • Kristina Moore discovered a notice on her inherited Northeast Baltimore home in April warning that water service could be shut off over an unpaid balance that city records link to her property.
  • The Springwood Estates community of 37 townhomes is served by a single master water meter and residents say the account for that meter is recorded under Moore’s house address.
  • Homeowners say the HOA collects residents’ shares and is contractually responsible for paying the master-meter bill, and Moore and her realtor provided the HOA covenants to city officials.
  • Baltimore’s Department of Public Works declined to discuss the account, citing Maryland law that restricts disclosure of a specific customer’s water information to third parties.
  • A senior adviser to the city council said the HOA was approved for a payment plan but that the lien will remain until the entire roughly $228,000 balance is paid, leaving Moore unable to sell the house and key questions about how the debt accumulated unresolved.