BILL REQ. #: H-3425.1
State of Washington | 63rd Legislature | 2014 Regular Session |
Read first time 01/21/14. Referred to Committee on Community Development, Housing & Tribal Affairs.
AN ACT Relating to disposing tax foreclosed property to cities for affordable housing purposes; and amending RCW 36.35.150.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1 RCW 36.35.150 and 2001 c 299 s 11 are each amended to read
as follows:
(1) The county legislative authority may dispose of tax foreclosed
property by private negotiation, without a call for bids, for not less
than the principal amount of the unpaid taxes in any of the following
cases:
(((1))) (a) When the sale is to any governmental agency and for
public purposes;
(((2))) (b) When the county legislative authority determines that
it is not practical to build on the property due to the physical
characteristics of the property or legal restrictions on construction
activities on the property;
(((3))) (c) When the property has an assessed value of less than
five hundred dollars and the property is sold to an adjoining
landowner; or
(((4))) (d) When no acceptable bids were received at the attempted
public auction of the property, if the sale is made within twelve
months from the date of the attempted public auction.
(2) The county legislative authority must give notice to any city
in which any tax foreclosed property is located within at least sixty
days of acquiring such property and the county may not dispose of the
property at public auction or by private negotiation before giving such
notice. The notice must offer the city the opportunity to purchase the
property for the principal amount of the unpaid taxes, under the
following conditions:
(a) The city must accept the offer within thirty days of receiving
notice, unless the county agrees to extend the offer;
(b) The city must provide that the property is suitable and will be
used for an affordable housing development as defined in RCW
36.130.010; and
(c) The city must agree to transfer the property to a local housing
authority, a nonprofit housing organization, or other entity eligible
to receive assistance from the affordable housing program under chapter
43.185A RCW.
(3) The county selling property to a city for affordable housing
purposes under subsection (2) of this section may negotiate with the
city to defer payment of all real property taxes levied on the property
for the period that the city owns the property. The tax obligations
deferred must become payable with interest upon the transfer or
conveyance of the property to a local housing authority, nonprofit
housing organization, or other eligible entity provided in subsection
(2) of this section. The county must collect the payment on the
deferred taxes directly from the housing entity receiving the property.