Frequently asked questions

The owner of the home is responsible for paying the charges.  You may be able to escrow the payments through your lender, similar to real estate taxes and insurance.  If you have established an escrow, please forward a copy of the invoice to the escrow agent.  However, the property owner remains liable for the payment.

In the past, Howard County reimbursed developers for the cost of installing water & sewer facilities. Then, they recouped this reimbursement by charging homeowners a Deferred Water & Sewer charge. However, Howard County no longer reimburses developers for installing these facilities. They now have the Developers or Third Parties (FREESTATE UTILITIES LLC) , recoup the costs associated with the construction and installation of water & sewer facilities from homeowners over a number of years. Once the developer dedicates the facilities for public use, Howard County is responsible for the ongoing maintenance of the water & sewer lines. 

This charge was disclosed in the contract to purchase your home in an addendum called Notice to Home Buyer of Deferred Water and Sewer Charges. In addition, the Declaration of Water and Sewer Charges is in public records and should have been disclosed by the title company upon their title search.  The obligation to pay this assessment runs with the property for the first 30 years, and is transferred to the new owner when a property is sold. 

The front foot benefit charge is a legally enforceable charge, similar to homeowners association dues and condominium fees.  Recordation of the right to collect the charges is in land records and is a lienable right against the property if not paid in a timely manner.

These charges are due on January 1st of each year, over a number of years as stated in your contract.

This amount is stated in the executed contract to purchase your home. It can be found in the addendum titled Notice to Home Buyer of Deferred Water & Sewer Charges or in theDeclaration of Deferred Water & Sewer Charges.

Checks should be made payable to "UTILITY PARTNERS, LLC" and mailed to PO BOX 441, Fulton, MD 20759. We do not accept credit card or online payments.

* Please include your property address on the check.

Yes, the balance due can be prepaid.  The homeowner has the right to prepay at a discounted rate as outlined in the Declaration of Water and Sewer Charges.  If interested in prepaying, please contact us via email and refer to your address.​

No, this is in addition to the usage charge.  Howard County will send you quarterly bills based on the amount of water it supplies and sewage it processes.

Deferred Water & Sewer Charges are also called Front Foot Benefit Charges (FFBC) or Annual Water & Sewer Facility Assesments