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sxswnxnw t1_j2nwqp3 wrote

You don't have to do anything for the water bill. They will automatically start being billed to you... Because the bills are fundamentally tied to addresses, not people.

The seller should have given cash to the title company to set aside for any outstanding water bills. The first month in my house that bill came to me for some crazy amount, and I called my realtor who was kind enough to loop in the title company, and the title company took care of the bill once I sent it to them.

I am also a first time home owner, and had no idea either. My realtor has been wonderful.

Once you know the due date, note it and pay the balance by that date or you get late fees.

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S-Kunst t1_j2r5k2f wrote

Much of this laxness in paying the water bill has come in recent years, when water/sewer rates skyrocketed. This is due to the fact that Balt city water & sewer system is over 100yrs old and needs to be rebuilt. After WWII all American cities were screwed by their local government into providing water & sewer to the new suburbs. The cost to get them this service goes way up the farther out they are from the system. This means the Baltimore rate payers pay for part of Columbia MD and the outer burbs, and this still goes on. Now that the city needs a rebuild, there is reluctance to charge the suburbs higher fees, to pay back the city.

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NowSinking t1_j2p1jgy wrote

Late fees? I’ve missed by a few days several times and didn’t get a fee. Or was I missing something?

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sxswnxnw t1_j2tpidt wrote

I was a day late and had a late fee. Now I have the due date in my calendar and monthly budget.

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kuechly9273 t1_j2nuny7 wrote

I don’t know the answer, but when I purchased back in May I didn’t do anything and about 6 months later I got my first water bill. Now I’m getting them monthly. I feel like maybe the city just automatically handles it since they’re aware of property sales? And maybe it just takes awhile for them it get it sorted at the start? 🤷🏼‍♀️good luck!

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UptownHiFi t1_j2ot8tz wrote

There is usually a lapse of several months time between settlement and water bills being addressed to the new owner. You can go online and look up the account by address. Even if bills are still being sent to the old owner they are a lien against your home.

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quasar_hat_rack t1_j2riglq wrote

I purchased a house in March of 2022 and will get my first water bill this month. I called several times and was told billing would start as soon as DPW was notified of the purchase. Additionally, they told me that I had to pay my interim usage through their website.
Failure to do so would result in fees and cut-off. (https://publicworks.baltimorecity.gov/ Click the "Pay Your Water Bill Online" icon and search for your address).

I randomly found the Change of Ownership form (Located here: https://publicworks.baltimorecity.gov/sites/default/files/Change%20of%20Info%20%20Sheet.pdf), filled it out, included a copy of my deed, and mailed it in). Two weeks later, I received a confirmation of the change and a self-service portal registration code.

Hope this helps

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