Legal Question in Real Estate Law in Maryland

I'm considering purchasing a home whose address is in Washington, DC. But when you look at the lot by pulling up the address on Google Maps, it is clear that the DC-Maryland border passes through the property.

The address is listed as a DC address, since virtually the entire front yard is on the DC side of the border. However, the entire physical building, as well as the entire backyard, are all on the Maryland side of the border.

I would assume that certain aspects such as state income tax, public school district, etc. are determined by the fact that it's classified as a DC address (even though perhaps just 25% of the area is on the DC side). However, what about other, equally important issues, such as:

- Construction/renovation permits?

- Tenant laws and regulations (i.e. renting a room to someone else)?

- Gun laws (i.e. if the gun stays in the home, on the Maryland side of the border, for defense, would it be necessary to get a DC permit? It would be possible that the gun never crossed the border line (if you bring it in through the rear entrance).

- Which police (and for that matter, fire and ambulance) services would have jurisdiction on that area? DC since that's the address? Or MD since the activities would be over the line?

The above are just some of the potential issues--and depending on the answer to the first few of them, the financials of renovations and renting could be very lucrative.

1 Answer from Attorneys

Related Questions & Answers

More Real Estate and Real Property questions and answers in Maryland

Looking for something else?