Harford County Wins $45.4M Rubble Landfill Lawsuit

HARFORD COUNTY, MD — The Maryland Court of Special Appeals ruled in favor of Harford County this week in a years-long legal battle over land off Gravel Hill Road. In doing so, it saved the county from paying out $43.4 million to a company over property.

Maryland Reclamation Associates filed suit in 2013 against Harford County arguing that the county's zoning policies had devalued its property.

Since 1990, the company had been trying to build a rubble landfill near Gravel Hill Road. It purchased the land for $732,500, court documents show.

Harford County passed legislation after Maryland Reclamation Associates purchased the 62 acres that prohibited landowners of property under 100 acres from operating rubble landfills. These sites are sanitary landfills for trees, land clearing, construction materials and demolition debris, according to court documents.

When Harford County denied zoning variances essential for the project to proceed, Maryland Reclamation Associates took the local government to court. In 2010, the Maryland Court of Appeals determined the county acted within the law in denying the zoning variances.

Maryland Reclamation Associates responded by filing a new lawsuit in 2013 in Harford County Circuit Court claiming that Harford County had devalued its property. After determining that the property decreased by $30 million in value, a jury decided Harford County should pay $45.4 million in damages, court documents show.

Harford County asked for the lawsuit to be dismissed on grounds that included the timing of the suit.

The statute of limitations in this case is three years, according to the Maryland Court of Special Appeals, which sided with the county; it ordered the Harford County Circuit Court to vacate the judgement from 2013.

In response to the court's Aug. 1 decision, the county executive said that it was a win for not just the county government but also for taxpayers.

"I am happy that the Court of Special Appeals agreed with us that MRA’s 2013 lawsuit came well past the deadline for making such a filing," County Executive Barry Glassman said in a statement issued Thursday, Aug. 1. "I hope that this puts an end to this long-running matter once and for all, and I am pleased not just for the residents of Gravel Hill, but for all Harford County taxpayers."

See the opinion from the Maryland Court of Special Appeals below.