IMPACT: Maryland bill would protect homeowners from investors buying debt 

Center told story of Baltimore woman who lost residence in water bill dispute 

By Fred Schulte, 12:07 pm, January 18, 2013 Updated: 6:11 pm, January 18, 2013

Maryland lawmakers are sponsoring legislation to prevent Baltimore-area residents from losing their homes for failing to pay small municipal water bills —a stunning scenario detailed in a Center for Public Integrity story.

The legislation is aimed at preventing a repeat of what happened to Vicki Valentine, a Baltimore woman who lost her family’s mortgage-free home over what began as an unpaid water bill of $362. The Center told Valentine’s story in 2010 as part of an investigation into the impact of tax-lien sales on struggling property owners.