Maryland Environment Section 9-949

      (a)      An authority has a lien on real estate:

            (1)      For:

                  (i)      The amount of any fee, rent, or charge, including a tapping fee, imposed on an owner, tenant, or occupant of the real estate for the use and services of a project of the authority; and

                  (ii)      Any accrued interest on the fee, rent, or charge; and

            (2)      From the time when the fee, rent, or charge is due and payable.

      (b)      A lien under this section is superior to any interest of an owner, tenant, or occupant of the affected real estate.

      (c)      A lien under this section binds or affects a subsequent bona fide purchaser of the real estate who purchases for valuable consideration and without actual notice of the lien only after the amount of the lien is entered in a lien register that is:

            (1)      Furnished for this purpose by and at the expense of the authority; and

            (2)      Kept among the land records of the county where the real estate is located.

      (d)      (1)      The clerk of the circuit court in the county where the real estate is located:

                  (i)      Shall keep and make available for public inspection any lien register that an authority provides to the clerk under this section;

                  (ii)      Shall record and index in the lien register any entry that the authority certifies; and

                  (iii)      Is entitled to a fee of 5 cents for each entry that the clerk makes under this section.

            (2)      To record a lien under this section, an authority shall pay to the clerk of the circuit court a fee of 5 cents for each entry.

            (3)      The amount of the fee paid for recording a lien shall be added to the amount of the lien.

      (e)      (1)      To discharge a lien under this section, a person shall pay to the authority:

                  (i)      The total amount of the lien; and

                  (ii)      Any interest that has accrued on the lien to the date of payment.

            (2)      When a person discharges a lien under this subsection, the authority shall deliver to the person a certificate of payment.

            (3)      When a person presents a certificate of payment to the clerk of the circuit court in the county where the real estate is located, the clerk, without any fee, shall record the discharge of the lien in the lien register.