Private Property

Lawsuit seeks to overturn Oregon’s first-in-nation ban on home buying ‘love letters’

Posted on November 21, 2021 by BJ | 0 Comments

A new Oregon law that bans so-called “love letters,” personal notes from prospective homebuyers to home sellers, has drawn a lawsuit seeking to invalidate it on First Amendment grounds before it takes effect in 2022. The lawsuit filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Portland by the conservative Pacific Legal Foundation says the Oregon Legislature had no justification for making…

Governor Announces Historic Timber Agreement: Proposed changes to Forest Practices Act to be brought before Legislature

Posted on October 31, 2021 by BJ | 0 Comments

(Salem, OR) — Governor Kate Brown today (10-30-21) announced that nearly ten months of negotiations between private forestry representatives, small forestland owners, conservation leaders, and fishing organizations has resulted in a historic proposal for new protections for sensitive species on over 10 million acres of forestland in Oregon. The proposal seeks to meet the federal standards for a statewide Habitat…

HB 2438 Property Tax Exemption Program for Certain Income Brackets

Posted on July 19, 2021 by BJ

VOTE:NO
Signed into Law by Gov Brown

Photo: Law Enforcement, Military, & Firearms equipment

HB 2510 Lockup requirements for Firearms

Posted on June 26, 2021 by BJ

VOTE:NO
Died In Committee

HB 2341 Prorates property taxes due to fire damage

Posted on June 23, 2021 by BJ

VOTE:YES
Signed into Law by Gov Brown

HB 2550 Blocks Home Buyers from communicating with Sellers

Posted on June 23, 2021 by BJ

HB 2550 VOTE: NO Signed into Law by Gov Brown on 06/23/21 Status (overview) of bill: https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2021R1/Measures/Overview/HB2550 This bill directs seller’s agent to redact or withhold communication from buyer to seller as necessary to help seller avoid selecting buyer based on buyer’s race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, marital status or familial status or in violation of federal…

Rental Legislative Update – March 2021

Posted on March 25, 2021 by BJ | 0 Comments

The flood gates opened this year with a tidal wave of bills targeting the rental industry. After many hearings, work groups and discussions with legislators here is where we sit on the most important bills. Thank you to all those who volunteered to write their legislators and/or testify to the committees. It truly made a difference. HB 2484 – This…

Chipping Away at Property Tax Reform

Posted on February 24, 2021 by BJ | 0 Comments

As one of the few states without a general sales tax, Oregon depends heavily on property tax for revenue. Real property is taxed based on its value — know as ad valorem taxes. As real estate prices spiked in the 1990s — along with taxes — citizens began to become resentful of the tax windfall enjoyed by their governments. In…

Problems of HB 2238, Gov. taking private property during emergencies

Posted on February 6, 2021 by BJ | 0 Comments

As Oregonians continue to cope with the many negative consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, some forward-looking people are beginning to examine how the state of Oregon might better respond to future emergencies. One of those people is Rep. Marty Wilde of Central Lane and Linn Counties who has introduced in the Oregon Legislature a bill presumably intended to facilitate timely…

Oregon lawmaker won’t pursue bill on governor taking land in emergencies

Posted on February 1, 2021 by BJ | 0 Comments

Eugene Democrat says foes misunderstood effort to stop ‘disaster profiteering’ A one-page bill quietly introduced at the start of the Oregon Legislature has raised some eyebrows around the state, as it would add language to existing law, stating the governor would have the authority to seize “any real or personal property” after an emergency is declared. The summary atop House…