§ 21-7. Conveyance of hotel business.
(a) Notification required.
(1) Whenever any person, firm, association, or corporation owning or operating any hotel business in Baltimore City shall sell, transfer, convey, or assign any such hotel business, the purchaser, transferee, or assignee thereof shall, at least 10 days before taking possession or control of such hotel business or paying therefor, notify the Director of Finance by registered mail of the proposed sale, transfer, conveyance, or assignment and of the price, terms, and conditions thereof.
(2) The said notice shall be given to the Director of Finance:
(i) whether or not the vendor, transferor, or assignor has represented to or informed the purchaser, transferee, or assignee that it owes any tax under the terms and provisions hereof; and
(ii) whether or not the purchaser, transferee, or assignee has knowledge that such taxes are in fact owing.
(b) Tax claim lien on purchase payment.
(1) Whenever the purchaser, transferee, or assignee shall fail to give the said notice to the Director of Finance, as required by the terms and provisions hereof, or whenever the Director of Finance shall inform the purchaser, transferee, or assignee that a possible claim for such tax exists, any sums of money, property, or choses in action, or other consideration which the purchaser, transferee, or assignee is obligated to pay or transfer to the vendor, transferor, or assignor shall be subject to a first priority, right, and lien for said taxes theretofore or thereafter determined to be due from the vendor, transferor, or assignor to the City.
(2) The purchaser, transferee, or assignee is forbidden to pay or transfer to the vendor, transferor, or assignor any of the aforementioned sums of money, property, or choses in action to the extent of the amount of the City's claim for unpaid taxes due under the terms and provisions hereof.
(c) Penalties.
For failure to comply with the terms and provisions of this section, the purchaser, transferee, or assignee:
(1) shall be personally liable for the payment to the City of said taxes theretofore or thereafter determined to be due to the City from the vendor, transferor, or assignor, in the same manner and to the same extent as the vendor, transferor, or assignor; and
(2) in addition thereto shall also be subject to the criminal penalties set forth in § 21-10.