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<section article="gcj" article_name="Courts and Judicial Proceedings" number="5-304" title_number="5" title_name="Limitations, Prohibited Actions, and Immunities" subtitle_number="3" subtitle_name="Local Government Tort Claims Act">
  <level label="a">
    <text>This section does not apply to an action:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>Against a nonprofit corporation described in § 5–301(d)(23), (24), (25), (26), (28), or (29) of this subtitle or its employees; or</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Brought under § 5–117 of this title.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <level label="1">
      <text>Except as provided in subsections (a) and (d) of this section, an action for unliquidated damages may not be brought against a local government or its employees unless the notice of the claim required by this section is given within 1 year after the injury.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The notice shall be in writing and shall state the time, place, and cause of the injury.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The notice required under this section shall be given in person or by certified mail, return receipt requested, bearing a postmark from the United States Postal Service, by the claimant or the representative of the claimant.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Except as otherwise provided, if the defendant local government is a county, the notice required under this section shall be given to the county commissioners or county council of the defendant local government.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>If the defendant local government is:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Baltimore City, the notice shall be given to the City Solicitor;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Howard County or Montgomery County, the notice shall be given to the County Executive; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>Anne Arundel County, Baltimore County, Frederick County, Harford County, or Prince George’s County, the notice shall be given to the county solicitor or county attorney.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>For any other local government, the notice shall be given to the corporate authorities of the defendant local government.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <text>Notwithstanding the other provisions of this section, unless the defendant can affirmatively show that its defense has been prejudiced by lack of required notice, upon motion and for good cause shown the court may entertain the suit even though the required notice was not given.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <text>This section does not apply if, within 1 year after the injury, the defendant local government has actual or constructive notice of:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>The claimant’s injury; or</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The defect or circumstances giving rise to the claimant’s injury.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
