Gov. Martin O?Malley on Thursday signed his first bills into law since he was inaugurated Jan. 17, including emergency legislation banning the creation of any new ground rents in Maryland.
O?Malley supported the bill (SB 106) as part of his legislative package, along with other measures that curb the abuses of ground rents as documented in a series by The Baltimore Sun. In some cases, houses have been taken from residents of Baltimore City and Anne Arundel County for failing to pay small amounts of money. One of those residents, Vernon Onheiser of Baltimore, was on hand for the signing.
“No family should have to lose their home because of an unpaid $24 ground rent,” O?Malley said at the signing. At his side putting their signatures on the legislation, as the state constitution requires, were Senate President Thomas Mike Miller and House Speaker Michael Busch.
“I?m not sure the previous administration would have signed this,” O?Malley said, referring to Republican Gov. Robert Ehrlich. “I really believe the previous administration would have been listening to the landlords.”
The package of ground rent bills trying to protect homeowners passed the House of Delegates unanimously Tuesday, andthe state Senate on Thursday.
There are least 115,000 households in Baltimore City that must pay the ground rents, and more in Baltimore and Anne Arundel counties.
