BALTIMORE, MD — Thomas Lee has lived in the same house in West Baltimore since he was 3 days old.
Memories of past Christmases and birthdays are hung on the walls.
"These are pictures of my mom. That is the day she brought me home from the hospital, that was taken here in the kitchen," Lee told us standing in his living room.
The love kept inside those walls almost came tumbling down when Lee got a letter after his mother passed.
It said his home was on the tax sale list set to be sold the next month.
"That kind of just shocked me and scared me you know, because I thought that come May 20. I could have a sheriff knock on my family home that we've owned since 1966 that I was born and raised in and have me put on the street with my things homeless," said Lee.
Fear, panic and anxiety, all crept into Lee's mind.
"It made me feel angry cause my family's lived here a long time. We've loved our house, we love Baltimore and Baltimore is trying to get people to move in but yet they want to kick out residents that have lived here over 50 years," said Lee.
Lee has a disability, he can't work, it makes paying back taxes within a month difficult.
Luckily, Lee isn't alone in needing help – or in his fight to keep his home.
Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service stepped in to keep Lee off the streets.
"I got a call that the property was taken off tax sale and I just start shaking," said Lee.
"I think once you get access to one of us or me it helps you to learn what the process is, it helps you to learn what your options are," said Aja' Mallory with MVLS.
Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service says the first process is getting the back taxes paid through a variety of funds.
"The first place we send them is the S.O.S Fund so they can at least get the to pay the property taxes below $750 and any other issue this family is dealing with legally we can deal with it holistically," said Mallory.
The issues still remain for Lee, whose home is still in his mom's name which makes getting help to pay the taxes difficult.
"I could get help paying the water bill, I could get help paying the back taxes, I could get help fixing the place up," said Lee.
Now, Lee and MVLS are working to get his title untangled – out of his mother's name and into his.
If you find your home on the tax sale list you can reach out to Maryland Volunteer Lawyer Services for help.
