Bill fixes technical notice language for self‑storage delinquency process after prior year law

House Bill 979 would add a technical amendment to the self‑storage delinquency notice process that industry and the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division agreed to last year but which was inadvertently omitted from the final bill.

Delegate Andre Johnson said the measure implements an agreement between the self‑storage industry and the Attorney General. The bill requires that, after an initial 10‑day delinquency notice, a second notice be sent after five days if the tenant has not responded and that the second notice be sent by verified mail.

Bruce Bariano, representing the Maryland Self Storage Industry, said the language mirrors the prior agreement between the industry and the Attorney General's office and called the change a consumer protection enhancement consistent with that deal. "The language in the bill is exactly what was agreed upon, by my client and the consumer protection division," Bariano said.

Ending: Witnesses said the bill corrects an omission and preserves the notice regime negotiated between the industry and the Attorney General; the committee heard no substantive opposition in the excerpt and no formal vote is recorded.