Law Day Observance

Retirement of Melvin Hirshman and Recruitment for Position of Bar Counsel

County Resolution Regarding Exemption from Property Recordation Tax Effective Oct. 21, 2009

Family Law Clinic

2010 Law Day Observance

On Friday, April 30, 2010, the Bar Association of Washington County, Inc. will observe Law Day in Washington County under the leadership of Law Day co-chairs Michelle Hansen and Arthur Schneider. The co-chairs and other lawyer members of the Association will be guests of Lou Scally for a radio show on WJEJ Radio, AM 1240, from 9:00 -10:00 a.m. to talk about the law and address legal questions from callers.

In addition, lawyer members of the Association will meet with seniors at the Senior Center at Girls Inc. of Washington County, 626 Washington Avenue, Hagerstown, MD to prepare advanced directives and powers of attorney. Copies of the Constitution with the Bill of Rights will be available at Girls Inc. and at the radio station.

Information regarding the Association is available on the its Web site at www.washingtoncountybar.org, along with an online directory of Association members listed by specialty, and other information concerning the Association and its members.

Retirement of Melvin Hirshman and recruitment for position of Bar Counsel

On behalf of the Attorney Grievance Commission, I am forwarding to your attention the press release, memo and position announcement announcing the retirement of Melvin Hirshman and recruitment for the position of Bar Counsel. Please distribute and/or post this information within your association. Thanking you in advance for your assistance in circulating this information. If you have any questions pertaining to this recruitment, please feel free to contact me at 410-260-1208.
Marcy Goode
Maryland Judiciary, HR-Recruitment
Unit 580 Taylor Avenue
Bldg. A-1 Annapolis
Maryland 21401
Tel.: 410-260-1208 / Fax: 410-974-2849

See full press release here: http://mdcourts.gov/press/2009/pr20091210.html

County Resolution Regarding Exemption from Property Recordation Tax Effective Oct. 21, 2009

PLEASE SHARE THIS E-MAIL WITH TITLE ABSTRACTORS AND SETTLEMENT COMPANIES WITH WHOM YOU DO BUSINESS

The Washington County Commissioners have voted to exempt from the buyer's portion of the recordation tax the first $200,000 of consideration on a deed and any associated purchase money mortgage/deed of trust on transfers of residential real property that will be occupied by the owner as a principal residence. In effect, this will reduce the recordation tax rate to $1.90 per $500 of the first $200,000 of consideration on qualifying transactions, with all recordation tax collected on the first $200,000 to be paid by the seller.  The exemption will be temporary, taking effect on the day after the Commissioners sign the Resolution, The last day the exemption can be claimed is January 31, 2010, unless extended by resolution of the County Commissioners.   The date the deed is fully executed will determine the eligibility of a transaction under both the effective date and the termination date of the exemption.

To receive this exemption, the deed will have to include an affidavit, signed by all buyers, that 'I/we intend to use the property as my/our principal residence by actually occupying the residence for at least seven months of a twelve month period.' (TP 12-103(b)(2))  If some but not all buyers will occupy the residence, the exemption will not apply, as the statute permits the county to allow this exemption only if "the buyer intends to use the property as the buyer's principal residence..." .  That language is being interpreted to disallow the exemption if any buyer will not occupy the residence.

We understand that this is short notice.  Documents executed and presented for recording on or after the effective date of the resolution that do not have the necessary affidavit will be accepted only upon payment of the full recordation tax.  The exempted portion, however, will be refunded later upon submission of a completed Claim for Refund of Recordation Tax form (available on the web at http://www.mdcourts.gov/courtforms/circuit/oc_aocx4.pdf together with the necessary affidavit signed by all buyers.  

Family Law Clinic
The Courthouse Family Law Clinic/Self-Help Assistance program has been in existence in Washington County since July 1997, funded by the Maryland Volunteer Lawyer Service. At designated times, a MVLS attorney is available in room 229 of the Courthouse to assist self-represented litigants who met eligibility guidelines as to income. A number of forms needed to advance a domestic relations case have been made available, and the Clinic lawyer can provide legal advice with respect to the completion of the forms and the filing and other actions that need to be taken by the litigant.

Co-parenting seminars are also offered, called “Children of Separation and Divorce” seminars, which may be attended voluntarily or may be ordered by the court, depending the history of the parties to a particular case.

In the appropriate case, the court may also order a custody evaluation by an expert social worker to determine the best home for the children of a couple. Other services that may be called upon at the discretion of the court according to the perceived needs of a particular case include: an attorney for the children, psychological services for the children, family counseling, mediation services, supervised visitation for children, substantive abuse evaluation, anger management, and domestic violence. A number of these services may carry charges, which are set forth in the Web site maintained by the Circuit Court for Washington County. All of these are payable from the Family Law Fund under special circumstances, such as lack of income or assets in accordance with family financial guidelines. The Web site is: http://www.courts.state.md.us/family/washington.html The Coordinator is Pat Witmer and she may be reached at 240-313-2580. Note: Children are used in the plural, but apply in the singular as well.