Property

Washington -- To get a sense of what tack the new Republican majority in Congress plans to take on real estate and housing issues, turn to the Congressional Record of Aug. 19.On that day, Sen. Phil Gramm, R-Texas, introduced the Private Property Rights Restoration Act (S. 2410). The bill's midsummer arrival drew little notice or coverage. After all, it was just another piece of conservative legislation destined to go nowhere. Even if it miraculously got on the agenda and passed the Senate, it would never see the light of day in the House, where Democratic environmental activists would kill it in committee.

Dear Mr. Azrael: Where can I find out more information regarding ground rents? I have owned about five ground rents for more than 20 years but would like to sell them. It is possible that the city government in Baltimore has taken over the properties. How can I find out? Dear reader: You can find out the owner of any leasehold or fee simple property in the state by going to the Web site of the State Department of Assessments and Taxation - www.dat.state. md.us is the address. Click on "real property search" and a menu will guide you to the taxing jurisdiction, address or other property reference.

Grace Episcopal Church in Elkridge has agreed to market a portion of the former Elkridge Drive-In site, whose owners have had trouble developing the property as a retirement community.Owners and developers Barry and Charu Mehta of Columbia want to create a retirement community on their 17-acre site off Route 1 but have been unable to find a buyer."The church will help me," Mr. Mehta said. "The church will take the main responsibility of finding" interested developers.Mr. Mehta's plans to develop the property have long been a source of tension between him and some members of the Elkridge community.

THE DAY begins with me identifying with the Geckle brothers. This is not a hopeful sign. Their property was invaded in Glyndon, and so was mine in the city of Baltimore, but the Geckles will spend the rest of their lives wondering if protecting material goods is worth the loss of a human life. Last month, there was a shooting at the Geckle brothers' concrete plant. Last week, a Baltimore County grand jury said: So what? So, this: We have one man dead and two more shot, and this should count for something.

A member of a group suspected of defacing public and private property throughout the city with crude spray-painted scribblings was arrested this week and is being held at Central Booking and Intake Center, authorities reported. City police alleged that the suspect, Adrian Akerman, 18, of the 3400 block of Brentwood Ave., is a member of a group that scrawls "DEA" - for Destroy Everything Always - next to its graffiti. Akerman was arrested Monday by officers of the Police Department's environmental crimes enforcement unit, on a warrant charging him with destruction of property in the defacing of the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall with spray paint.

New York -- The most painful decision a real-estate investor can confront is when, or whether, to bail out of a property that is bleeding cash. Your rents don't come close to covering your costs. But if you sell, you may realize an enormous loss. To pay off the bank, you may have to fork over even more cash than you've put up already.In many cases, these strapped investors could beat the rap if they could only refinance. Replacing their 11 percent mortgages with loans costing only 7 percent might put their budgets back on track.

Momentum is building for a referendum to give residents a voice on the annexation of the Phillips property.Although the Town Council voted unanimously Monday to annex the 110-acre site north of town, residents could still have the final say. Referendum organizers have 45days to collect signatures from 20 percent of the town's 455 registered voters."

OK. You've painted your teen-age son's purple bedroom a nice, neutral antique white. You've gotten rid of the clutter in the family room, moving your bowling trophies to your brother-in-law's for temporary storage. Most importantly, you've lowered the price of your property below the neighborhood competition.And your house still won't sell.Before you give up completely, realty specialists suggest you consider some small, yet relatively inexpensive steps that could make a big difference."You don't have to spend a fortune to make your house move," says Sandra Sadler, Pasadena sales manager for Prudential Preferred Properties.

SOME THINGS are accomplished faster when government is not involved. Government, with its regulations and bureaucracy, can slow down business that must not be delayed.That's why the city created quasi-public agencies such as Charles Center-Inner Harbor Management Corp. and Baltimore Economic Development Corp. That's why four years ago those entities were merged to form Baltimore Development Corp.The public wants the efficiency and speed a BDC provides, even if it means losing the ability to scrutinize the semi-private agency with the same degree of authority as City Hall agencies.

A reader writes that he inherited a small lot on the Eastern Shore of Virginia after his mother passed away two years ago. He asked the local taxing authority what needed to be done to transfer the property to his name. He was advised of the procedure for transferring the property for tax records, which basically involved sending authorities a copy of the will. He then began receiving and paying tax bills. He never received any deed or other documentation showing him as property owner.