Md. Code, Local Government § 26-1001
This is the official text of Md. Code, Local Government § 26-1001, part of Maryland’s Code, Local Government — governs the powers and operations of Maryland counties and municipalities.
Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.
§26–1001.
Official statutory text
(a) A person who is assessed for a ditch or drain that does not pass through or on the person’s land may open a ditch or install drain tile through the intervening land to connect to the main ditch and keep the ditch or drain tile open at the person’s expense and control.
(b) A person may not open a ditch or install drain tile through the land of another person without the consent of the owner of the land, unless the damages to the land accruing to the owner of the land are assessed by three owners of land appointed by the county commissioners or county council to assess the damages.
(c) A person seeking to open a ditch or install drain tile under this section shall:
(1) pay the costs of laying out and opening the ditch or drain; and
(2) pay all damages awarded to any person who is injured by the ditch or drain before making the ditch or drain.
(b) A person may not open a ditch or install drain tile through the land of another person without the consent of the owner of the land, unless the damages to the land accruing to the owner of the land are assessed by three owners of land appointed by the county commissioners or county council to assess the damages.
(c) A person seeking to open a ditch or install drain tile under this section shall:
(1) pay the costs of laying out and opening the ditch or drain; and
(2) pay all damages awarded to any person who is injured by the ditch or drain before making the ditch or drain.
Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site
Need a lawyer in Maryland?
Find a Maryland lawyer
About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the
Open US Law dataset
(Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine
(Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.