HB 743 — An Act amending Title 68 (Real and Personal Property) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in land banks, further providing for acquisition of property and providing for municipal acquisition of real property.

PRINTER'S NO.   766

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                         HOUSE BILL
                         No. 743
                                               Session of
                                                 2025

     INTRODUCED BY SALISBURY, BRENNAN, KENYATTA, GREINER, WAXMAN,
        HOWARD, GIRAL, MADDEN, PROBST, HILL-EVANS, SANCHEZ, KHAN,
        DAVIDSON, DEASY AND CERRATO, FEBRUARY 26, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT,
        FEBRUARY 26, 2025


                                    AN ACT
 1   Amending Title 68 (Real and Personal Property) of the
 2      Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in land banks, further
 3      providing for acquisition of property and providing for
 4      municipal acquisition of real property.
 5      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 6   hereby enacts as follows:
 7      Section 1.    Section 2109 of Title 68 of the Pennsylvania
 8   Consolidated Statutes is amended by adding a subsection to read:
 9   § 2109.    Acquisition of property.
10      * * *
11      (i)    Just compensation.--A land bank that acquires real
12   property under this section shall pay just compensation of the
13   appraised value of the real property at the time of the transfer
14   minus any fines, liens or remediation costs to the record owner
15   of the real property.
16      Section 2.    Title 68 is amended by adding a section to read:
17   § 2122.    Municipal acquisition of real property.
18      (a)    Authorization.--A municipality may authorize a land bank
 1   to acquire and redevelop real property if all of the following
 2   apply:
 3            (1)   The property:
 4                  (i)    is abandoned or vacant and blighted, except for
 5            unimproved land, for five consecutive years; or
 6                  (ii)   is abandoned or vacant and has been declared a
 7            nuisance property by the municipality for five
 8            consecutive years.
 9            (2)   The property has a record of building code
10      violations or has been in serious violation of municipal
11      ordinances, including tax delinquency.
12            (3)   The municipality has attempted at least three
13      notifications by mail, including the first notification by
14      certified mail, to the owner of the property to remediate the
15      building code violations or ordinance violations.
16      (b)   Notification.--If the abandonment or vacancy and blight
17   of the property continues after the requirements of subsection
18   (a)(1), (2) and (3) have been established, the municipality
19   shall notify the owner of the property by certified mail that
20   the property is subject to be designated as available for
21   acquisition through a land bank due to abandonment or vacancy
22   and blight. Ninety days after the notification under this
23   subsection has been delivered and if the owner has not requested
24   an appeal hearing, the municipality may designate the property
25   as available for acquisition through a land bank. Notification
26   under this subsection shall include information on the appeal
27   process established under subsection (c).
28      (c)   Appeal.--An owner of a property may appeal the
29   designation of the property as available for acquisition through
30   a land bank. A municipality shall provide a property owner a

20250HB0743PN0766                       - 2 -
 1   hearing. A municipality may:
 2            (1)   Grant an appeal if the owner of a property provides
 3      the municipality with a plan for the use or redevelopment of
 4      the property 30 days prior to an appeal hearing. The plan for
 5      use or redevelopment shall include a timeline for
 6      redevelopment, including scheduled dates when phases of the
 7      redevelopment are planned to be completed, the proposed final
 8      completion date, other information regarding the future plans
 9      for the property and at least one of the following:
10                  (i)    actual or pending financing for redevelopment;
11                  (ii)    architectural drawings for redevelopment; or
12                  (iii)    a contract with a real estate developer,
13            contractor or other professional for use or redevelopment
14            of the property.
15            (2)   If an appeal is granted and a redevelopment plan is
16      implemented, inspect a property at any time to ensure that
17      the redevelopment plan is being implemented. If an inspection
18      provides evidence that, without just cause, the redevelopment
19      plan is not being implemented or is failing to meet the
20      scheduled dates when phases of the redevelopment are planned
21      to be completed, the municipality may revoke the appeal and
22      designate the property as available for acquisition through a
23      land bank.
24            (3)   If an owner provides evidence that an extension to a
25      redevelopment plan is warranted, grant extensions to the plan
26      in no more than six-month increments or designate the
27      property as available for acquisition through a land bank.
28      (d)   Acquisition.--Following the designation of real property
29   as available for acquisition through a land bank, a land bank
30   may acquire the property under section 2109 (relating to

20250HB0743PN0766                       - 3 -
1   acquisition of property).
2      Section 3.   This act shall take effect in 60 days.




20250HB0743PN0766                 - 4 -