The bill amends West Virginia Code §31-18E-9 to remove the sunset date on the provision that grants land reuse agencies and municipal land banks the right of first refusal to acquire certain tax-delinquent properties before they are offered at public auction. It modifies the criteria under which these entities can refuse to sell property to adjacent property owners and revises the reporting requirements for land reuse agencies and municipal land banks. Additionally, it allows the Joint Committee on Government and Finance to subpoena these agencies for auditing purposes.

Key changes include the establishment of a right of first refusal for land reuse agencies and municipal land banks to purchase tax-delinquent properties that meet specific criteria, such as having an assessed value of $50,000 or less or being on a municipality's vacant property registry for 24 months or longer. The bill also mandates that these agencies provide written notice to adjacent property owners when they acquire a tax-delinquent property, allowing those owners a 120-day period to express interest in purchasing the property. The annual reporting requirements to the West Virginia Land Stewardship Corporation are also revised to ensure oversight of the activities related to the acquisition of tax-delinquent properties.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 31-18E-9
Committee Substitute: 31-18E-9
Enrolled Committee Substitute: 31-18E-9