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2019 House Bill 1105: Protecting taxpayers from home foreclosure
Introduced by Rep. Tina Orwall (Des Moines) (D) on January 14, 2019
Referred to the House Local Government Committee on January 14, 2019
Substitute offered in the House on January 23, 2019
Requires treasurers to annually distribute tax statements by March 15. Requires all delinquency tax notices to specifically include current and delinquent taxes due, penalties and interest due, and information for the statewide foreclosure hotline. Requires county treasurers to provide the contact information of delinquent taxpayers to a homeownership resource center after the expiration of two years from the date of the property tax delinquency. Authorizes taxpayers to participate in payment agreements for delinquent taxes in any case where current or past taxes may be delinquent. Requires that all payments, received from a taxpayer participating in a payment agreement or making a partial tax payment for a delinquency, to be applied to the oldest delinquent year first unless the taxpayer requests otherwise. Creates counselor referral hotline and housing counseling activities accounts to be funded from a 50-cent fee for each dwelling unit located on each parcel.
Referred to the House Appropriations Committee on January 25, 2019
Substitute offered in the House on February 21, 2019
Property tax statements are amended, counseling information is provided to delinquent taxpayers, and requirements relating to how delinquent tax payments are applied are established.
Referred to the House Rules Committee on March 1, 2019
Amendment offered by Rep. Vicki Kraft (Vancouver) (R) on March 12, 2019
Eliminates the following penalties that accrue on unpaid property tax in current law: (1) the 3% penalty assessed on delinquent tax payments owed on June 1st of the year in which the tax is due; and (2) the 5% penalty assessed on delinquent tax payments owed December 1st of the year in which the tax is due. Removes the provisions that: Required(within 90 days after a taxpayer is two years delinquent in property taxes) the county treasurer to provide the name and address of the delinquent taxpayer to a homeowner resource center or other designated local or state entity recommended by the Housing Finance Commission. Required treasurers to collect a 50-cent fee (to be deposited in a homeowner protection account) levied against all billable real property accounts that receive a tax statement which was to be used to fund the counselor referral hotline and the housing counseling activities. Created a homeowner protection account in the custody of the State Treasurer and that authorized the Department of Commerce to administer expenditures from the account for the counselor referral hotline, housing rescue loans, and housing counseling activities. ?Required county assessors, as applicable, to assist taxpayers in applying for the property tax exemption or tax deferral programs, or by referring them to a homeownership resource center. ?Required county treasurers and assessors to publicly display information about the property tax exemption and deferral programs in their office.
The amendment failed by voice vote in the House on March 12, 2019
Amendment offered by Rep. Tina Orwall (Des Moines) (D) on March 12, 2019
Eliminates the creation of: (1) the 50-cent fee levied against all billable real property accounts that receive a tax statement; and (2) the homeowner protection account which was to be funded from receipts from the 50-cent fee and used for the counselor referral hotline, housing rescue loans, and housing counseling activities.
The amendment passed by voice vote in the House on March 12, 2019
Amendment offered by Rep. Mike Volz (Spokane) (R) on March 12, 2019
Eliminates the following penalties that accrue on unpaid property tax: (1) the 3 percent penalty assessed on delinquent tax payments owed on June 1st of the year in which the tax is due; and (2) the 5 percent penalty assessed on delinquent tax payments owed December 1st of the year in which the tax is due.
The amendment passed by voice vote in the House on March 12, 2019
Received in the Senate on March 14, 2019
Referred to the Senate Local Government Committee on March 14, 2019
Amendment offered in the Senate on March 26, 2019
Removes the provision eliminating penalties that accrue on unpaid property tax. Provides that the county assessor may, rather than must, assist taxpayers in applying for the property tax exemption available to senior citizens and service-connected disabled veterans or in applying for the property tax deferral program for retired persons, if the taxpayer requests assistance for payment of current year or delinquent taxes. Provides that the county assessor must refer the taxpayer to the statewide foreclosure hotline recommended by the Washington State Housing Finance Commission, rather than a homeownership resource center, if the taxpayer requests assistance for payment of current year or delinquent taxes. Requires that payments on past due taxes must include collection of the oldest delinquent year, which includes interest and taxes within an 18-month period, prior to filing a certificate of delinquency, as opposed to a 12-month period.
Referred to the Senate Rules Committee on March 27, 2019
Amendment offered by Sen. Shelly Short (Addy) (R) on April 11, 2019
Removes the provision eliminating penalties that accrue on unpaid property tax. Provides that the county assessor may, rather than must, assist taxpayers in applying for the property tax exemption available to senior citizens and service-connected disabled veterans or in applying for the property tax deferral program for retired persons, if the taxpayer requests assistance for payment of current year or delinquent taxes. Provides that the county assessor must refer the taxpayer to the statewide foreclosure hotline recommended by the Washington State Housing Finance Commission, rather than a homeownership resource center, if the taxpayer requests assistance for payment of current year or delinquent taxes. Requires that payments on past due taxes must include collection of the oldest delinquent year, which includes interest, penalties, and taxes within an 18-month period, prior to filing a certificate of delinquency, as opposed to a 12-month period. Requires the county treasurer to waive all outstanding interest and penalties on delinquent taxes for one time only, if the property is subject to foreclosure, and the taxpayer is income-qualified under the $40,000 threshold for the tax exemption available to senior citizens and service-connected disabled veterans, and the taxpayer occupies the property as their principal place of residence.
The amendment passed by voice vote in the Senate on April 11, 2019
Received in the House on April 18, 2019
Signed by Gov. Jay Inslee on May 9, 2019