State Senator Tom Tiffany of Hazelhurst and Representative Adam Jarchow are introducing legislation this week as part of the Homeowners' Bill of Rights, a package of property rights legislation.
Tiffany outlines the bill....
"....about 25 percent of the cost of a home now is regulatory. In other words, soft costs that don't do anything for home construction. It's putting home affordability out of reach with lower incomes or people starting out. We hear about young people living in their parents basements, part of the reason is it's expensive to get that new home, the starter home...."
Tiffany says the upcoming legislation is in response to a U.S. Supreme Court decision from a western Wisconsin case where the court said a family wasn't allowed to be compensated for loss after regulation prohibited them from splitting their lot for another dwelling.
Tiffany outlines the details saying the Murr family from St. Croix county will be there...
"...they were forced to merge, they could only use it as one lot. When they bought the lots, they were split lots, they should have been able to sell one of them. The family was not allowed to sell the lot as the result of a change that happened AFTER they purchased the property. We believe when you buy property with a certain set of rules, those should apply as you go forward...."
The bill to be announced this week will protect property owners of substandard lots by grandfathering the lots that do not meet current lot size limits of existing building code requirements...among other points.
Besides the Murr family, Tiffany and Jarchow are expected to be joined by the Wisconsin Realtors Association and the Pacific Legal Foundation at Thursday's announcement
