Do you have unpaid real estate property taxes or water bills? Then don’t wait, contact a housing counselor at Go Northwest HRC to schedule an appointment to determine what options you are available to resolve the issue. Homeowners with outstanding municipal fees over $750 could find themselves subject to the 2025 City Tax Sale which could ultimately lead to foreclosure.
Your housing counselor can help you navigate assistance available through the City’s Tax Sale Coordination and Prevention Services. We help homeowners avoid tax sales by providing guidance on the tax sale process and offering resources to prevent property liens from being sold. In Baltimore City, unpaid city bills, or liens, are sold annually to outside bidders, who then impose interest and fees on property owners. The 2025 tax sale will occur on May 19th, and homeowners must pay overdue bills by April 30, 2025, to avoid having their property included in the sale.
To reduce the risk of inclusion in the tax sale, homeowners can apply for the Tax Sale Deferral Program, which defers their property’s inclusion in the tax sale for a year. This program does not forgive unpaid bills but helps keep properties off the tax sale list temporarily. It has a set annual fund of $2 million, and the number of applicants who can participate is limited. Homeowners are eligible if their home is valued at $250,000 or less, they meet specific income criteria, or they are seniors or disabled individuals with low income. Applications are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis each year from February 15 to April 15. You can find the application on the City’s website; but if completing the online application is a hardship, one of our housing counselors can assist you.
The Tax Deferral Program requires homeowners to apply annually. Additionally, homeowners can access various tax credits and resources to help lower household expenses and reduce their risk of tax sale. Your housing counselor can help you explore these resources, as well as, connect you with free or low cost legal resources, if needed. Don’t wait! Act today.
Buying our first home was a dream come true, but it needed major updates. GO
Northwest guided us to the Healthy Neighborhoods Loan Initiative, helping us secure funds for renovations. Now, our home is not only ours—it’s everything we envisioned!
