Jerry Kline Helps a Client Sell His Bowie Home, Buy Another in Davidsonville

Jerry Kline (right), realtor, Keller Williams Flagship of Maryland, appears with multi-transaction clients Matt & Gail. Jerry recently helped Matt & Gail sell their long-time home in Bowie, Maryland, and purchase a new home in the pastoral Anne Arundel County community of Davidsonville.

Matt J. was exploring the back roads of Davidsonville on his motorcycle one day last spring when he suddenly started thinking about what it would be like to live there. Characterized by large, wooded lots, winding, two-lane roads and dozens of pastoral horse farms, Davidsonville is a place that draws people who seek a quieter, slower way of life.

So, Matt & his wife, Gail, decided to make a change. They contacted Jerry Kline, realtor, Keller Williams Flagship of Maryland, to help them sell their Bowie home and purchase a new property in Davidsonville’s Harbor Hills community. Both transactions recently closed.

"Jerry was our realtor for both the purchase of our new home and the sale of our existing home,” Matt said. “My wife and I were both extremely happy with him. He is very knowledgeable and professional, and importantly, he is organized and extremely responsive.”

The series of transactions was particularly complex because the purchase of Matt’s new home was done as part of a corporate relocation, which added several other parties and layers of paperwork to the project.

“Jerry kept track of everything that needed to be done to make both our home purchase and sale as smooth as possible,” Matt said. “He reached out to us without delay when appropriate and was always quick to respond when we reached out to him. He will be our first choice if/when we move again."

Congratulations on your new home purchase, Matt & Gail! Davidsonville is a wonderful community, and we’re sure you’re going to love living there!

If you know someone who needs to buy or sell a home in the greater Baltimore/Annapolis/Washington, D.C. area, contact Jerry Kline of Keller Williams Flagship (443-924-7418) today.

How Anne Arundel County Handles Complaints About Weeded & Overgrown Yards

Piney Orchard Homes

County Law States Property Owners May not Allow Weeds or Grass to Grow 12 Inches or Higher

So, we’re into June and that neighbor of yours still hasn’t cut his lawn this year. You’ve seen antelopes and snakes nesting on that lot and its killing your property value or -- worse yet -- your attempts to sell your home.

What can you do?

The Anne Arundel County government has a process for dealing with weeded brush and overgrown grass on private property. In fact, the county’s Department of Public Works receives and acts on more than 1,400 requests per year relating to the county’s Weeded Lot law.

Article 13, Title 6, of the Anne Arundel County Code states that a homeowner, occupant, or person in control of real property may not allow or maintain on their property a growth of weeds or grass that is 12 inches or higher. County residents can file complaints against owners who violate these provisions.

How the County Acts on Complaints

When the county receives a complaint, an inspector with the Department of Public Works will investigate the report to verify that the property’s condition violates the county code. If a violation is found, notification is sent to the property owner via a certified letter that the weeds or grass need to be cut.

If the property owner does not comply with the notice, a certified notice is posted on the property for a period of seven days. If the overgrown lot is not cut by the eighth day, a contractor hired by the county is sent to cut the overgrown property, and the property owner is billed for all charges, including overhead. According to the county, this entire process can take as long as three weeks.

If the property owner fails to pay the invoice for mowing, the county may place a tax lien on the property. Moreover, if the overgrown condition of the lot persists, the county can charge the property owner as much as $500 each time the owner fails to cut the property. This violation of the county code also carries civil penalties up to $1,000.

It is important to note, however, that there are certain exemptions to the county’s Weeded Lot law. Specifically, overgrown property does not violate the law if the property is:

- agricultural in nature;

- a natural wooded area; or

- publicly owned and preserved as a natural area, open space or for recreation.

How to Report a Weeded Lot

Anne Arundel County residents can report a weeded lot by contacting the Department of Public Works (DPW) at (410) 222-7582. The office is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Residents also may make a report using the DPW internet contact form, which is available at http://www.aacounty.org/departments/public-works/contact-us/index.html. When using this form, residents should indicate their request as a “weeded lot” and include a physical address in the comment section.

Questions relating to the county’s Weeded Lot law also may be directed to the county’s Bureau of Highways Administration at (410) 222-7321.

Jerry Kline is a Realtor with the Odenton, Maryland, office of Keller Williams Flagship of Maryland (1216 Annapolis Rd., Odenton, MD 21113.) For more information on the local real estate market, contact him at (443) 924-7418.