Beware homeowners: Phony letter about property tax assessment

By Lori Lundin
June 15, 2015 | 5:11 AM

WASHINGTON — It’s a warning not to be fooled by but there is another tax scam circulating in the mail and one that targets property owners in Montgomery County.

Some homeowners are receiving a very official looking letter in the mail that appears to be from a state or local government agency. It leads homeowners to believe they may be paying more in property taxes than others in comparable homes. It promises to review their property tax assessment for $99. But don’t be fooled.

County leaders say it’s free to petition for a tax assessment review. Anyone who fell for the scam should file a complaint with the Office of Consumer Protection. The deceptive letter has been reported to the U.S. Postal Service.

For more information, call 240-777-3636 or visit Montgomery County’s Office of Consumer Protection website.

Bowie mother shot in the head while holding her baby, another child tried to intervene, police say

By Thomas Robertson
August 21, 2026 | 8:29 PM

The Bowie, Maryland, mother who was shot in the head by her romantic partner Thursday was holding the couple’s 2-month-old baby as they argued about school supplies, according to charging documents. The woman was rushed into surgery and, as of Friday afternoon, remained in critical condition, police said. Her partner, Kimball Hinton Jr., 41, has been charged with first- and second-degree attempted murder, first- and second-degree assault, three counts of reckless endangerment and other firearm-related charges in connection with the shooting. One of the couple’s six children, who were all in the house on Myrtle Avenue in Bowie when the shooting happened, called police at 4:16 p.m. Thursday and said her mother had just been shot by her father, the documents state. Hinton himself called police two minutes later, according to the documents, and admitted shooting her.

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