If you don't pay your property taxes, the city has the right to foreclose on your property. But did you know that in many jurisdictions, including Maryland and the District of Columbia, the city has the right to the entire value of your house if you have even a very small unpaid property tax liability? In advance of the Supreme Court taking up this issue in the spring, GW's Center for Washington Area Studies is hosting an expert panel of academic experts, a legal advocate for the elderly, a developer of these properties, and the plaintiffs in the Supreme Court case to discuss these issues.

Panelists Include:

• John Green, Blackstar Real Estate
  Mr. Green is an experienced developer who has worked with many of these properties after they have left the owners' hands.
• Joanne Savage, Legal Counsel for the Elderly
  Ms Savage has counseled many elderly clients whose homes have been at risk of foreclosure and has seen the evolution of these policies in the District of Columbia.
• Todd Gaziano, Chief of Legal Policy and Strategic Research, Pacific Legal Foundation
  The Pacific Legal Foundation is representing the plaintiff in a case coming before the Supreme Court this spring on what is known as “home equity theft.”