Source: http://www.wvlegislature.gov/WVCODE/code.cfm?chap=31&art=18E
Timestamp: 2019-04-23 12:19:50+00:00

Document:
§31-18E-5. Board of directors of a land reuse agency.
§31-18E-6. Staff of the land reuse agency.
§31-18E-7. Powers of the land reuse agency.
§31-18E-11. Financing of land reuse agency operations.
§31-18E-12. Borrowing and issuance of bonds.
§31-18E-13. Public records and public access.
§31-18E-14. Dissolution of land reuse agency.
§31-18E-16. Expedited quiet title proceedings.
§31-18E-17. Construction, intent and scope.
§31-18E-18. Annual audit and report.
This article may be known and cited as the West Virginia Land Reuse Agency Authorization Act.
(1) Strong communities are important to the social and economic vitality of this state. Whether urban, suburban or rural, many communities are struggling to cope with vacant, abandoned and tax-delinquent properties.
(2) Citizens of this state are affected adversely by vacant, abandoned and tax-delinquent properties, including properties which have been vacated or abandoned due to mortgage foreclosure.
(3) Vacant, abandoned and tax-delinquent properties impose significant costs on neighborhoods, communities, municipalities and counties by lowering property values, increasing fire and police protection costs, decreasing tax revenues and undermining community cohesion.
(4) Vacant, abandoned and tax-delinquent properties contribute to blight, invite crime and pests and provide unsafe play spaces.
(5) There is an overriding public need to confront the problems caused by vacant, abandoned and tax-delinquent properties through the creation of new tools to enable municipalities and counties to turn vacant, abandoned and tax-delinquent spaces into vibrant places.
(6) Land reuse agencies, often called land banks in other jurisdictions, are one of the tools that municipalities and counties may use to facilitate the return of vacant, abandoned and tax-delinquent properties to productive use.
(6) “Municipal land bank” means a department or agency of a municipality, or an entity lawfully created by a municipality, engaged in activities designed to address issues related to vacant, abandoned and tax-delinquent real property, including but not limited to, the purchase, rehabilitation, improvement or sale of such properties for the purpose of eliminating blight and returning those properties to productive use.
(8) “Real property” means all lands, including improvements and fixtures on them and property of any nature appurtenant to them or used in connection with them and every estate, interest and right, legal or equitable, in them, including terms of years and liens by way of judgment, mortgage or otherwise, and indebtedness secured by the liens.
(6) Additional terms and conditions the land reuse jurisdiction deems reasonable and necessary for operation of the land reuse agency that are not inconsistent with this article.
(b) Filing. -- The governing body of the land reuse jurisdiction which creates a land reuse agency shall file a copy of the ordinance with the West Virginia Housing Development Fund and with the Secretary of State. After receipt of the ordinance, the Secretary of State shall issue the appropriate documentation indicating the formation of the entity.
(B) A land reuse jurisdiction and one or more municipalities or counties.
(2) If a land reuse agency is established under subdivision (1) of this subsection, the intergovernmental cooperation agreement must specify matters identified in subsection (a) of this section.
(d) Limitation. -- Except as set forth in subsection (c) of this section, if a county establishes a land reuse agency, the land reuse agency may acquire real property only in those portions of the county located outside of the geographical boundaries of any other land reuse agency established by another land reuse jurisdiction located partially or entirely within the county.
(2) Exists until terminated and dissolved under section fourteen of this article.
(f) Collaboration. -- A land reuse agency, a political subdivision and another municipal entity may enter into an intergovernmental cooperation agreement relative to the operations of a land reuse agency.
(a) Membership. -- A board shall consist of an odd number of members and be not less than five members nor more than eleven members. Unless restricted by the actions or agreements specified in section four of this article and subject to the limits stated in this section, the size of the board may be adjusted in accordance with bylaws of the land reuse agency.
(5) As used in this subsection, the term "public officer" means an individual who is elected to office.
(c) Officers. -- The members of the board shall select annually from among their members a chair, vice chair, secretary, treasurer and other officers as the board determines.
(4) Other matters necessary to govern the conduct of a land reuse agency.
(e) Vacancies. -- A vacancy on the board shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment. Upon removal under subdivision (3), subsection (d) of this section, the position becomes vacant.
(f) Compensation. -- Board members serve without compensation. The board may reimburse a member for expenses actually incurred in the performance of duties on behalf of the land reuse agency.
(2) A majority of the board, excluding vacancies, is a quorum. Physical presence is required under this paragraph.
(h) Voting. -- (1) Except as set forth in subdivision (2) or (3) of this subsection or elsewhere in this article, action of the board must be approved by the affirmative vote of a majority of the board present and voting.
(F) Sale, lease, encumbrance or alienation of real property or personal property with a value of more than $50,000.
(3) A resolution under section fourteen of this article, relating to dissolution of a land reuse agency, must be approved by two thirds of the entire board membership.
(4) A member of the board may not vote by proxy.
(5) A member may request a recorded vote on any resolution or action of the land reuse agency.
(i) Immunity. -- A land reuse jurisdiction which establishes a land reuse agency and a municipality or county which are parties to an intergovernmental cooperation agreement establishing a land reuse agency shall not be liable personally on the bonds or other obligations of the land reuse agency. Rights of creditors of a land reuse agency are solely against the land reuse agency.
(a) Employees. -- A land reuse agency may employ or enter into a contract for an executive director, counsel and legal staff, technical experts and other individuals and may determine the qualifications and fix the compensation and benefits of those employees.
(2) The land reuse agency to provide staffing services to the municipality or county.
(18) To do all other things necessary or convenient to achieve the objectives and purposes of the land reuse agency or other law related to the purposes and responsibility of the land reuse agency.
A land reuse agency does not possess the power of eminent domain. Any property obtained by the power of eminent domain after the effective date of this article may not be acquired by a land reuse agency by any means.
(a) Title to be held in its name. – A land reuse agency or municipal land bank shall hold in its own name all real property it acquires.
(b) Tax exemption. – (1) Except as set forth in subdivision (2) of this subsection, the real property of a land reuse agency or municipal land bank and its income and operations are exempt from property tax.
(2) Subdivision (1) of this subsection does not apply to real property of a land reuse agency or municipal land bank after the fifth consecutive year in which the real property is continuously leased to a private third party. However, real property continues to be exempt from property taxes if it is leased to a nonprofit or governmental agency at substantially less than fair market value.
(c) Methods of acquisition. – A land reuse agency or municipal land bank may acquire real property or interests in real property by any means on terms and conditions and in a manner the land reuse agency considers proper: Provided, That a land reuse agency or municipal land bank may not acquire any interest in oil, gas or minerals which have been severed from the realty.
(d) Acquisitions from municipalities or counties. – (1) A land reuse agency or municipal land bank may acquire real property by purchase contracts, lease purchase agreements, installment sales contracts and land contracts and may accept transfers from municipalities or counties upon terms and conditions as agreed to by the land reuse agency or municipal land bank and the municipality or county.
(2) A municipality or county may transfer to a land reuse agency or municipal land bank real property and interests in real property of the municipality or county on terms and conditions and according to procedures determined by the municipality or county as long as the real property is located within the jurisdiction of the land reuse agency or municipal land bank.
(3) An urban renewal authority, as defined in section four, article eighteen, chapter sixteen of this code, located within a land reuse jurisdiction established under this article may, with the consent of the local governing body and without a redevelopment contract, convey property to the land reuse agency. A conveyance under this subdivision shall be with fee simple title, free of all liens and encumbrances.
(e) Maintenance. – A land reuse agency or municipal land bank shall maintain all of its real property in accordance with the statutes and ordinances of the jurisdiction in which the real property is located.
(f) Prohibition. – (1) Subject to the provisions of subdivision (2) of this subsection, a land reuse agency or municipal land bank may not own or hold real property located outside the jurisdictional boundaries of the entities which created the land reuse agency under subsection (c), section four of this article.
(2) A land reuse agency or municipal land bank may be granted authority pursuant to an intergovernmental cooperation agreement with a municipality or county to manage and maintain real property located within the jurisdiction of the municipality or county.
(g) Acquisition of tax delinquent properties. – (1) Notwithstanding any other provision of this code to the contrary, if authorized by the land reuse jurisdiction which created a land reuse agency or municipal land bank or otherwise by intergovernmental cooperation agreement, a land reuse agency or municipal land bank may acquire an interest in tax delinquent property through the provisions of chapter eleven-a of this code. Notwithstanding the provisions of section eight, article three, chapter eleven-a of this code, if no person present at the tax sale bids the amount of the taxes, interest and charges due on any unredeemed tract or lot or undivided interest in real estate offered for sale, the sheriff shall, prior to certifying the real estate to the Auditor for disposition pursuant to section forty-four, article three, chapter eleven-a of this code, provide a list of all of said real estate within a land reuse or municipal land bank jurisdiction to the land reuse agency or municipal land bank and the land reuse agency or municipal land bank shall be given an opportunity to purchase the tax lien and pay the taxes, interest and charges due for any unredeemed tract or lot or undivided interest therein as if the land reuse agency or municipal land bank were an individual who purchased the tax lien at the tax sale.
(2) Notwithstanding any other provision of this code to the contrary, if authorized by the land reuse jurisdiction which created a land reuse agency or municipal land bank or otherwise by intergovernmental cooperation agreement, the land reuse agency or municipal land bank shall have the right of first refusal to purchase any tax-delinquent property which is within municipal limits, and has an assessed value of $25,000 or less or has been condemned: Provided, That the land reuse agency or municipal land bank satisfies the requirements of subdivision (3) of this subsection. A list of properties which meet the criteria of this subdivision shall regularly be compiled by the sheriff of the county, and a land reuse agency or municipal land bank may purchase any qualifying tax-delinquent property for an amount equal to the taxes owed and any related fees before such property is placed for public auction.
(3) When a land reuse agency or municipal land bank exercises a right of first refusal in accordance with subdivision (2) of this section, the land reuse agency or municipal land bank shall, within fifteen days, provide written notice to all owners of real property that is adjacent to the tax-delinquent property. Any such property owner shall have a period of 120 days from the receipt of notice, actual or constructive, to exercise a right to purchase the tax-delinquent property from the land reuse agency or municipal land bank for an amount equal to the amount paid for the property by the land reuse agency or municipal land bank: Provided, That in the event more than one adjacent land owner desires to purchase the tax-delinquent property, it shall be sold to the adjacent property owner offering the highest bid. It is the duty of the adjacent property owner to establish that he or she is the actual owner of property that is adjacent to the tax-delinquent property and all state and local taxes and all fees on his or her adjacent property are current and non-delinquent.
(3) Effective July 1, 2020, the provisions of subdivisions (2) and (3) of this subsection shall sunset and have no further force and effect.
(4) Prior to January 1, 2020, any land reuse agency or municipal land bank which exercises the authority granted by this subsection may submit to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance a report on the entity’s activities related to the purchase of tax-delinquent properties and any benefits realized from the authority granted by this subsection.
(a) Public access to inventory. -- A land reuse agency shall maintain and make available for public review and inspection an inventory of real property held by the land reuse agency.
(b) Power. -- A land reuse agency may convey, exchange, sell, transfer, lease, grant or mortgage interests in real property of the land reuse agency in the form and by the method determined to be in the best interests of the land reuse agency.
(c) Consideration. -- (1) A land reuse agency shall determine the amount and form of consideration necessary to convey, exchange, sell, transfer, lease as lessor, grant or mortgage interests in real property.
(2) Consideration may take the form of monetary payments and secured financial obligations, covenants and conditions related to the present and future use of the property, contractual commitments of the transferee and other forms of consideration as determined by the board to be in the best interest of the land reuse agency.
(d) Policies and procedures. -- (1) A board shall determine and state in the land reuse agency policies and procedures the general terms and conditions for consideration to be received by the land reuse agency for the transfer of real property and interests in real property, including but not limited to, a process for distribution of any proceeds to any claimants, taxing entities and the land reuse agency.
(2) Requirements which may be applicable to the disposition of real property and interests in real property by municipalities or counties shall not be applicable to the disposition of real property and interests in real property by a land reuse agency.
(D) Retail, commercial and industrial activities.
(2) The priorities established may be for the entire land reuse jurisdiction or may be set according to the needs of different neighborhoods, municipalities or other locations within the land reuse jurisdiction, or according to the nature of the real property.
(f) Land use plans. -- A land reuse agency shall consider all duly adopted land use plans and make reasonable efforts to coordinate the disposition of land reuse agency real property with the land use plans.
(g) Specific voting and approval requirements. -- (1) A land reuse jurisdiction may, in its ordinance creating a land reuse agency or in the case of multiple land reuse jurisdictions and municipalities or counties creating a single land reuse agency in the applicable intergovernmental cooperation agreement, require that a particular form of disposition of real property or a disposition of real property located within specified jurisdictions be subject to specified voting and approval requirements of the board.
(2) Except as restricted or constrained under paragraph (1) of this subsection, the board may delegate to officers and employees the authority to enter into and execute agreements, instruments of conveyance and other related documents pertaining to the conveyance of real property by the land reuse agency.
(5) Private or other public sources.
(b) Funding. -- A land reuse agency may receive and retain payments for services rendered, for rents and leasehold payments received, for consideration for disposition of real and personal property, for proceeds of insurance coverage for losses incurred, for income from investments and for an asset and activity lawfully permitted to a land reuse agency under this article.
(c) Allocated real property taxes. -- (1) A taxing jurisdiction may authorize the remittance or dedication of a portion of real property taxes collected pursuant to the laws of this state to a land reuse agency on real property conveyed by a land reuse agency.
(2) Allocation of property tax revenues in accordance with this subsection, if authorized by the taxing jurisdiction, begins with the first taxable year following the date of conveyance and continues for a period of up to five years and may not exceed a maximum of fifty percent of the aggregate property tax revenues generated by the property.
(3) Remittance or dedication of real property taxes include the real property taxes of a county board of education only if the county board of education enters into an agreement with the land reuse agency for the remittance or dedication.
(a) Authority. -- (1) A land reuse agency may issue a bond for any of its corporate purposes.
(2) The principal and interest of a bond is payable from the land reuse agency's general revenue.
(B) A mortgage of property of the land reuse agency.
(b) Nature. -- The bond is a negotiable instrument under the provisions of article eight, chapter forty-six of this code.
(c) Tax exempt. -- A bond and the income from the bond is exempt from taxation by: (1) The state; and (2) a political subdivision.
(d) Procedure. -- (1) A bond must be authorized by resolution of the board and shall be a limited obligation of the land reuse agency.
(2) The principal and interest, costs of issuance and other costs incidental to the bond are payable solely from the income and revenue derived from the sale, lease or other disposition of the assets of the land reuse agency. The land reuse agency may secure the bond by a mortgage or other security device covering all or part of the project from which the pledged revenues may be derived.
(B) Is not an indebtedness or pledge of the general credit of a political subdivision within the meaning of a constitutional or statutory limitation of indebtedness and shall contain a recital to that effect.
(5) A bond may be subject to redemption at the option of and in the manner determined by the board in the authorizing resolution.
(e) Powers of municipalities or counties. -- A municipality or county may elect to guarantee, insure or otherwise become primarily or secondarily obligated on the indebtedness of a land reuse agency, subject, however, to all other provisions of law of this state applicable to municipal or county indebtedness.
(f) Sale. -- (1) A bond shall be issued, sold and delivered in accordance with the terms and provisions of the authorizing resolution. The board, to effectuate its best interest, may determine the manner of sale, public or private, and the price of the bond.
(2) The resolution issuing a bond must be published in a newspaper of general circulation within the jurisdiction in which the land reuse agency is located.
(g) Liability. -- (1) Neither the members of a land reuse agency nor a person executing the bond shall be liable personally on the bonds by reason of the issuance of the bond.
(2) The bond or other obligation of a land reuse agency related to a bond shall not be a debt of a municipality, county or of the state. A statement to this effect shall appear on the face of the bond or obligation.
(B) A municipality or county has no liability. This paragraph applies to the revenue and property of a municipality or county.
(a) Public records. -- A board shall keep minutes and a record of its proceedings.
(b) Public access. -- A land reuse agency is subject to article nine-a, chapter six of this code, relating to open meetings, and chapter twenty-nine-b of this code, relating to public records.
(3) Approval of a resolution requesting dissolution, pursuant to subdivision (3), subsection (h), section five of this article.
(b) Authority. -- Upon receipt of a proper resolution described in subsection (a) of this section, the land reuse jurisdiction which created the land reuse agency may dissolve the land reuse agency by adoption of an ordinance or order. If approved, the governing body of the land reuse jurisdiction which created the land reuse agency shall file a certified copy of the ordinance or order with the Secretary of State and notify the West Virginia Housing Development Fund of the dissolution of the land reuse agency. The Secretary of State shall cause the termination of the existence of the land reuse agency to be noted on the record of incorporation. Upon the filing, the land reuse agency shall cease to function.
(1) Personal property, including financial assets, of the land reuse agency shall be divided among participating land reuse jurisdictions in proportion to the population of each jurisdiction.
(2) The municipality in which real property is located or the county in which the property is located, if it is not within a municipality, shall approve the transfer of title to the municipality or county.
(2) There is no land reuse jurisdiction which desires to continue the existence of the land reuse agency.
(a) Ethics Act. -- The acts and decisions of members of a board and of employees of a land reuse agency are subject to chapter six-b of this code.
(2) Ethical guidelines for members of the board and land reuse agency employees.
(a) Authorization. -- (1) A land reuse agency may file an action in circuit court to quiet title to real property in which the land reuse agency has an interest.
(2) A land reuse agency may join in a single complaint to quiet title to one or more parcels of real property.
(3) For purposes of an action under this section, the land reuse agency shall be deemed to be the holder of sufficient legal and equitable interests and possessory rights so as to qualify the land reuse agency as an adequate complainant in the action.
(b) Procedural requirements. -- (1) Prior to the filing of an action to quiet title, the land reuse agency must conduct an examination of title to determine the identity of any person possessing a claim or interest in or to the real property.
(C) By posting a copy of the notice on the real property.
(E) As ordered by the court.
(B) The form of service under subdivision (2) of this subsection.
(c) Hearing. -- (1) The court shall schedule a hearing on the complaint within ninety days following filing of the complaint and as to all matters upon which an answer was not filed by an interested party.
(2) The court shall issue its final judgment within one hundred twenty days of the filing of the complaint.
This article shall be construed liberally to effectuate the legislative intent and the purposes as complete and independent authorization for the implementation of this article, and all powers granted shall be broadly interpreted to effectuate the intent and purposes and not as a limitation of powers.
(a) The land reuse agency shall annually, within one hundred twenty days after the end of the fiscal year, submit an audit of income and expenditures, together with a report of its activities for the preceding year, to the West Virginia Housing Development Fund.
(2) Each political subdivision which opted to participate in the land reuse agency pursuant to an intergovernmental agreement.

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