HB0130 Optional unoccupied home fee. | Wyoming Bill

Optional unoccupied home fee.

AN ACT relating to county authority to regulate unoccupied properties; authorizing counties to impose a fee on unoccupied residential dwellings as specified; providing for use of revenues generated for a county property tax relief or refund program or an affordable housing program; and providing for an effective date.

Housing Taxes

Plain English Breakdown

The bill did not pass and was never voted on.

Optional Fee for Unoccupied Homes

The bill allows counties to charge a fee on unoccupied residential dwellings and specifies how the collected funds should be used.

What This Bill Does

Allows counties to impose a fee on unoccupied residential dwellings that remain empty for more than 180 days per year.

Requires at least 95% of the fee revenue to go towards property tax relief or affordable housing programs as specified by county commissioners.

Limits the fee to houses with a fair market value under $500,000 unless the county sets a higher threshold up to $1 million.

Exempts homes that are inaccessible for 90 days or more per year from paying the fee.

Who It Names or Affects

Counties in Wyoming can decide if they want to charge this fee on unoccupied homes within their borders.

Homeowners of unoccupied properties might have to pay a fee based on how long their home is empty and its value.

Terms To Know

unoccupied

A house that no one lives in for more than half the year.

resolution

A decision made by a group of people, like county commissioners, to do something specific.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill did not pass and was never voted on.

It only applies if the county decides to use it after July 1, 2020.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

20LSO-0007
2020
STATE OF WYOMING
20LSO-0007
Introduced
2.0

HOUSE BILL NO. HB0130

Optional unoccupied home fee.

Sponsored by: Representative(s) Yin and Schwartz and Senator(s) Gierau

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to county authority to regulate unoccupied properties; authorizing counties to impose a fee on unoccupied residential dwellings as specified; providing for use of revenues generated for a county property tax relief or refund program or an affordable housing program; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1
.

W.S. 18
‑
2
‑
116 is created to read:

18
‑
2
‑
116.

Property fees.

(a)

A county by resolution adopted by the board of county commissioners may impose a fee on residential
dwellings within the county that remain unoccupied for more than one hundred eighty (180) days per year subject to the provisions of this section. The fee may be based upon the total square footage of the dwelling, the ground floor square footage of the dwelling or other dwelling size specified in the resolution. The resolution shall provide appropriate provisions to administer and enforce the fee.

(b)

Any fee imposed under subsection (a) of this section shall be distributed as follows:

(i)

Ninety
‑
five percent (95%) shall be retained by each county treasurer to be used for the following as the county commissioners direct:

(A)

A property tax relief or refund program specified in the resolution of the county commissioners; or

(B)

An affordable housing program that is specified by resolution of the county commissioners.

(ii)

Five percent (5%) shall be retained by the treasurer of the county in which the fee was imposed for administration and enforcement.

(c)

Subsections (a) and (b) of this section shall not apply to:

(i)

Residential dwellings with a fair market value as determined by the records of the county assessor of less than five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000.00) unless a higher threshold is included in the county commissioner's resolution adopted pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, not to exceed a threshold of one million dollars ($1,000,000.00);

(ii)

Residential dwellings which are inaccessible for ninety (90) or more days per year;

(iii)

Other dwellings exempt by the board of county commissioners in the resolution adopted pursuant to subsection (a) of this section.

Section 2
.

This act is effective July 1, 2020
.

(END)

1
HB0130