So according to this article, the checks that America Home Mortgage Investment Corp sends out to pay the property taxes are bouncing. That means that the people in those houses need to pay their bill themselves if they don’t want to lose their houses. So what has that to do with shooting government officials? Well read this….

Baltimore City received bad checks for 53 properties – a total of about $63,500. Baltimore County said American Home Mortgage checks bounced for 21 properties, totaling $41,000. Taxes are due at the end of the month.

Finance officials in the rest of the region – Anne Arundel, Carroll, Harford and Howard counties – reported no similar problems.

“This is just another chapter in what is a very difficult time for the mortgage industry,” said Donald I. Mohler III, a spokesman for Baltimore County, which no longer accepts checks from American Home Mortgage.

“It’s an unfortunate situation and we certainly hope these individuals will be able to work out some kind of agreement with their mortgage company,” Mohler said.

Anthony McCarthy, a spokesman for Mayor Sheila Dixon, said the city does not plan to notify the affected homeowners. They will get a notice in November along with all other delinquent taxpayers if the problem isn’t resolved by then.

Baltimore County said it has sent bills directly to the property owners to alert them.

Now Baltimore County is doing things right. I don’t feel any particular need to see them shot. But what excuse is there for the city of Baltimore? If the City alerted people like the county did, then people could avoid penalties.