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<baltimore-city-law heading="§ 4-4 Warning of lien and potential foreclosure.">
  <section prefix="§" num="4-4" heading="Warning of lien and potential foreclosure.">
    <para num="(a)" heading="Scope of section.">
      <para num="(1)" heading="In general.">Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, this section applies to every bill, invoice, or other statement issued by or for the City to collect a tax, fee, or other charge that, by operation of law, constitutes a lien on real property.</para>
      <para num="(2)" heading="Exceptions.">This section does not apply to water and wastewater bills for:<para num="(i)">a residential property; or</para>
        <para num="(ii)">a property that is owned by a religious group or organization and is exempt from taxation under § 7-204(1) or (2) of the State Tax-Property Article.</para>
      </para>
    </para>
    <para num="(b)" heading="Warning required.">Each bill, invoice, or other statement to which this section applies shall contain the following warning, prominently and conspicuously displayed in bold face type:
“&lt;strong&gt;Warning:  These charges are a lien on the property identified.  Failure to timely pay these charges can lead to sale of the lien at auction and possible foreclosure of the property identified.  Foreclosure can result in the loss of ownership of the property.&lt;/strong&gt;”</para>
    <annotation type="History">Ord. 15-411</annotation>
    <annotation type="History">Ord. 20-336</annotation>
    <annotation type="Editor's Notes">Subsection (a) was amended by Ordinance 20-336 {“Water Accountability and Equity Act”} to add an exception for certain water and wastewater bills.  That Ordinance was enacted on January 13, 2020, but with a delayed effective date of July 13, 2020.  Subsequently, Ordinance 20-468 {“Water Accountability ... Act – Modifications”}extended the effective date for this exception to Jan, 13, 2021.  See Editor’s Note in City Code &lt;cite data-path="|24"&gt;Article 24 {“Water”}&lt;/cite&gt;, at the end of that article’s Subtitle 2 {“Bills”} – especially the quote there from Ord. 20-468, Sections 3 and 5(e)(5).</annotation>
  </section>
</baltimore-city-law>
