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Postal Service delays may have resulted in late fee assessments on quarterly utility bills.   The Department of Public Works and the Office of Finance is aware of the issue and will waive late fees for payments mailed in and postmarked prior to the due date deadline.  If you received a late fee and believe it is in error, please call 410-222-1144 or email [email protected].  

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Arundel Center
44 Calvert Street
Annapolis, MD 21401
(410) 222-1144

 

 
 

Tax Sale Information

The following information is provided per Maryland Annotated Code, Tax-Property Article § 14-812

Summary of the Tax Sale Process

  1. Anne Arundel County conducts an annual tax sale in accordance with State of Maryland Law and County Code in order to collect delinquent property taxes and other delinquent amounts owed to the County, such as delinquent water and wastewater charges.
  2. At least thirty days before a property is advertised for tax sale, a legal notice is sent to the property owner informing them of the delinquent property taxes and/or other delinquent charges.
  3. If payment (by cash, cashier’s check or money order) is received by the County’s Office of Finance for the total amount due prior to the tax sale date, the property will not go to tax sale.
  4. If the delinquent amounts are not paid before the tax sale date, then a tax lien certificate is sold at tax sale. Only the tax lien certificate is sold at tax sale, not the property itself. The property owner still retains ownership of the property after the tax sale. The tax lien certificate purchaser has the right to foreclose on the property if the property owner fails to pay off the debt within a limited time period.
  5. To redeem the property from tax sale, all necessary amounts owed to the County must be paid in full. This will include the amount of the tax sale lien plus interest and may include other amounts due to the County such as real property tax bills, water/wastewater bills, etc.
  6. After four months from the date of the tax sale, the tax sale lienholder may require that legal fees be paid and a lien release be obtained before the County would be able to accept payment for the tax sale redemption. These legal fees must be paid before the property owner can pay all necessary amounts owed to the County to redeem the property from tax sale.
  7. After six months from the date of the tax sale, if the property has not been redeemed from tax sale, the tax sale lienholder may file a foreclosure case against the property in the Anne Arundel County Circuit Court. At the time a foreclosure case is filed, the amount due for legal fees is likely to increase.
  8. Property owners may still redeem the property from tax sale and retain the property by paying the legal fees and paying all necessary amounts owed to the County while the foreclosure case is active. However, once a final judgment foreclosing right of redemption is entered against the property, the property owner will lose ownership of the property.

If this property is your principal residence and you are having difficulty paying the taxes on the property, there are programs that may help you.

Free counseling is available to help homeowners make plans to pay their bills and keep their homes by calling the telephone number of the Maryland HOPE Hotline at (877) 462-7555.

The homeowners' property tax credit may significantly reduce the property taxes you owe if you have limited income and assets.

You may be eligible for the credit at any age, but if you are 70 years old or older, you may be eligible for a special benefit that may reduce the taxes you owe for the past 3 years. The Homeowner’s Property Tax Credit is administered by the State Department of Assessments and Taxation. You can reach that office at:

Phone: (410) 767-4433 or (800) 944-7403
Website: dat.maryland.gov/homeowners

There is a State Tax Sale Ombudsman established under § 2-112 of the Tax-Property Article and is available to:

  1. Answer questions about the tax sale process.
  2. Assist homeowners with applying for tax credits and other benefits that may help homeowners to pay delinquent taxes and retain their homes.
  3. Provide more information about the homeowners’ property tax credit and how to apply.

The State of Maryland Tax Sale Ombudsman can be reached at:

Phone: (410) 767-4994 or (833) 732-8411
Website: dat.maryland.gov/taxsale
Email: [email protected]

Can someone at the County help me with questions?

Please contact our Tax Sale Department at (410) 222-1735. If you are hearing or speech impaired, then dial 711.

What if I have a mortgage on my property?

If you have a mortgage on your property, you may want to call your mortgage company and advise them about the tax sale. Your mortgage company may be able to assist you.