InfoHive – Eminent Domain

Oklahoma is re-working how land owners can re-acquire their former property after the state condemns it but doesn’t do anything with it.  OK is removing the current requirement that bars repurchase in the first 5 years after it was acquired by eminent domain. A co-author of HB1103 says, “The five-year requirement, if it were to remain, would act as an incentive for the Commission to hold the property for five years so it could be sold at market value, resulting in increased revenue.”

OK Energy Today | Bill Allowing Property Owners to Reclaim Seized Land Signed into Law

Drones, and the data they retain, is a concern for privacy and property rights groups. A police department in Georgia is looping emergency responder drone operators to 911 calls so as to improve public safety missions.

Route Fifty | Law enforcement taps drones to improve response times and safety

A property tax reform proposal in Montana, HB 231 (2025 | MT) , would tax second homes and rentals at a higher rate than owner occupied residential property.

News from the States | Zombies and Frankenstein: Montana Legislature looks to cobble together tax relief

Florida Legislature’s Right to Repair bills, SB 1132 and HB235 (2025 | FL),  appear to have stalled in the Florida House. The Senate Bill handily passed the Senate while the House Bill has yet to receive a hearing. The Senate author is a commercial farmer who says the legislation will give farmers options for repair.

A conservative think tank said there was no need for the bill. “I therefore respectfully urge the committee to recognize the effectiveness of existing market solutions and reconsider whether this legislation addresses a genuine market failure or simply imposes unnecessary regulation on a functioning marketplace.”

Florida Politics | Consumer’s right to repair ag equipment gets OK despite opposition

Florida Phoenix | A look at some bills that are struggling in the Florida Legislature as Sine Die approaches

Snob zoning refers to policies like those in many communities that “have large minimum lot sizes for single-family districts, which encourages building larger homes that sell for more money, and has been linked with racial and economic segregation.” 

Governing | New Hampshire Republicans’ Crusade Against ‘Snob Zoning’

The Colorado legislature is considering  House Bill 25-1235  that would provide for jury trials in eviction cases. The legislation comes after the Colorado Supreme Court  opened teh door for jury trials in eviction cases.

Law Week Colorado | Colorado Judiciary Committee Advances Bill Giving Defendants in Eviction Proceedings a Right to a Jury Trial

A bill in Minnesota proposes licensing requirements for HOA management companies, prohibits foreclosures based on aesthetic fees, and foreclosure limitations. HF1628 (2025 | MN). The bill is a result of the 2024 Working Group on Common Interest Communities and Homeowners Associations.

Fox 9 | Bill to protect residents of HOA’s moving forward in Minnesota Legislature

Texas is a vast state. Passenger rail could make it easier to traverse the great State of Texas. Turns out, to build rail connecting Texas cities, you need to acquire land. And,  that’s a challenge. Texans love their land. Texas Central Rail has “secured only about one-quarter of the land needed for the 240-mile rail line, having acquired roughly 1,600 land parcels, including around 500 single-family homes.”  

Years ago, we talked about a similar situation with the high speed rail project traversing the state of California. They too had a challenge acquiring land.

Statesman | Will high-speed bullet train between Dallas and Houston ever become reality?

4 cities have curtailed algorithmic rent increases. Minneapolis became the 4th, following Berkeley, Philadelphia, and San Francisco. Opposition to algorithmic rent increases say that they are a form of collusion. 

It’s not only cities curbing this practice. Colorado’s HB25-1004 has passed a chamber of the legislature and will also prohibit algorithmic rent increases.

Route Fifty | Cities lead bans on algorithmic rent hikes as states lag behind

Earlier this year we talked about states capping how many homes investors could own. Georgia had proposed a 2,000 cap in HB 555 (2025 | GA). Well, Georgia Capitol watchers say the bill is dead.

Georgia Recorder | Georgia housing groups pessimistic over prospects of Legislature reining in investor price squeeze