Message to Homeowners
BMS prides itself on providing transparent information to homeowners to ensure each household has all the information it needs to timely pay its front foot benefit charges each year. We realize receiving a bill that you may be unfamiliar with that uses terms like front foot benefit charges, land records, and declarations can be confusing and even concerning. To help guide you through this process and ease your concerns, our team at BMS has put together the information below in response to the most frequently asked questions from our homeowners. If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to contact us and one of our helpful team members will be more than happy to assist you.
- BMS Team
Message to Homeowners
BMS prides itself on providing transparent information to homeowners to ensure each household has all the information it needs to timely pay its front foot benefit charges each year. We realize receiving a bill that you may be unfamiliar with that uses terms like front foot benefit charges, land records, and declarations can be confusing and even concerning. To help guide you through this process and ease your concerns, our team at BMS has put together the information below in response to the most frequently asked questions from our homeowners. If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to contact us and one of our helpful team members will be more than happy to assist you.
- BMS Team
FAQs
01
How do I setup my account with DuesPayment to pay online?
Please click here for step-by-step instructions for setting up your account with DuesPayment and pay your invoice online.
02
What are front foot benefit charges?
Front foot benefit charges (or annual water and sewer charge) is imposed by the developer of a community to recover all or a portion of the costs of installing the water & sewer infrastructure at the time of development. These charges are outlined in the Declaration of Water and Sewer Charges recorded in the county land records.
In the past, when the infrastructure was installed by the public utility provider, these charges would have appeared on a homeowner’s county tax bill. More recently, the infrastructure has been installed by private developers and these charges are billed annually directly to the homeowner.
03
How long do I have to pay these charges?
Front foot benefit charges typically run for 20–40 years from the date your home was sold to the initial buyer from the developer. The amount and term of these charges are spelled out in the Declaration of Water and Sewer Charges for each community or lot and recorded in the county land records.
04
Is this the same as my water usage bill?
No, front foot benefit charges are unrelated to a homeowner’s water & sewer usage bill that is invoiced through the local utility company.
05
Are front foot benefit charges legal obligations?
Yes, the Maryland state legislature as well as the Maryland Court of Appeals have confirmed the validity of front foot benefit charges.
For additional information, please see the Montgomery County's Office of Consumer Protection's advisory on this matter available here.
06
When are FFBC obligations typically disclosed?
For the initial owner of a subject lot, the front foot benefit charge is generally disclosed and acknowledged as part of the contract or via an additional addendum signed at the time the purchase contract is executed with the builder. For each subsequent sale of the home, the seller must disclose the Annual Water and Sewer Charge to any prospective purchasers as part of the sales contract. Please review your closing records or ask your title company for additional information.
07
Who is BMS?
We are headquartered in Montgomery County, Maryland and provide billing, collection, and financial management services for water and sewer infrastructure for local and national developers and investors. From managing a single project of 300 homes in 1993, BMS now manages the billing and collection of water and sewer infrastructure charges for over 43,500 homes, representing 370 projects.
BMS (or BMS Management Group, LLC) has been retained by the Utility Company that owns the rights to collect the front foot benefit charges from the homeowner.
Questions?
If you have any additional questions, please contact us by email, phone, or by submitting the form below and one of our team members will be more than happy to assist you.
Questions?
If you have any additional questions, please contact us by email, phone, or by submitting the form below and one of our team members will be more than happy to assist you.
