Baltimore City launches campaign to warn buyers to check for 'Vacant Building Notices' on properties
BALTIMORE - Baltimore City has been trying to entice people to buy vacant buildings and fix them up.
But there is a new warning you should know before you sign on the dotted line.
Baltimore City Department of Housing and Community Development warns that one of those homes could end up costing you a $1,000 fine.
Vacant Building Notice Fact Sheet for Awareness Messaging by Adam Thompson on Scribd
Purchasing one of Baltimore's iconic rowhomes sounds like a potentially sweet deal. You spend a little money and get some sweat equity.
However, homebuyers are discovering their rehabilitated house has a Vacant Building Notice on it throughout Baltimore City.
A VBN is placed on a property that is vacant, abandoned and uninhabitable. The owner can be fined $1,000 for not removing the notice by rehabilitating the property and obtaining a use and occupancy permit.
Statement - Vacant Building Notice Awareness Campaign by Adam Thompson on Scribd
Department of Housing and Community Development also says that properties that are returned to livable conditions have not taken the correct steps to properly remove the VBN, or the property is being rehabbed with the contractor cutting corners, which could cause serious issues.
The Baltimore City Council passed a bill in 2021 requiring sellers to disclose if a property has a notice on it and buyers can walk away from a property under notice.
The Housing Department says you'll need a "use and occupancy" permit to get rid of that vacant notice to prove that the house is up to code.