Welcome to the Future!
Where: Austin, TX
How did the city determine illegal short term rentals? City hired a contractor
What did the contractor find? 75% of Austin’s short term rentals were illegal
New Kid on the Block: short-term rental monitoring company Host Compliance
Statesman | Study Finds 75% of Austin short-term rentals are illegal
Where: Georgia
Who is taking action? Glynn County Tax Commissioner Jeff Chapman.
How would short term rentals be taxed? By recalculating or revoking the homestead exemption
The Brunswick News | Homestead exemptions target of increased scrutiny
Where: Colorado Springs CO
Who is initiating the tax change? County Assessor Steve Schleiker
How would a local tax assessor do this? Reclassifying the property as commercial from residential with a potential assist by the Legislature
The Gazette | Colorado Springs short-term property owners could see massive tax bill increase
Where: Florida
The legislation: HB 1159 (2019 | FL)
What does it prohibit?
WTSP | New law allows property owners to remove, trim trees without a permit
Where: California
What? No private transfer fees
Are there exceptions? Yes, if the fees are used exclusively to support the encumbered property or cultural, education, charitable, recreational, environmental, or conservation
The legislation: AB 3041 (2028 | CA)
What: a poll conducted by San Marcos Daily Record
The results: majority believe more oversight if private entities have eminent domain authority
San Marcos Daily Record | Majority Believes Eminent Domain Should Not Be Given To Private Companies Without More Oversight
Where? Lancaster PA
What happened? Nuns protested a pipeline that was running through their convent’s land, ended up charged with trespass and fulfilling community service
What did the judge say about the situation? “We must all be more vigilant to elect to those legislative positions persons who are highly concerned with their local constituents and local problems, and not those who merely look for personal advancement, or who look to industry to fill their coffers for reelection.”
Where? Florida
What legislative action triggered the lawsuit? When the county disbanded the Hillsborough County Public Transportation Commission
What governmental entity is being sued? The county
What is the claim? That the county’s regulatory change devalued taxi medallions that that is tantamount to a taking that requires compensation
Tampa Bay Times | Lawsuit: Hillsborough’s new taxi permits cost drivers thousands
Where? Texas
What question(s) will the TX Attorney General answer? Statutory Construction of the dog bite law, including?
Where? California
What? SB 50 (2019 | CA)
How does SB 50 change single family zoning? By permitting more high volume housing construction in areas that are near:
Why? California has a housing shortage estimated at 3.5 million homes and single family zoning is an obstruction to high volume housing construction
Who wins? Developers and the housing market
City Lab | Political Battle Over California’s Suburban Dream